Almost a year to the day after the government of Lesotho enacted a historic law making Trafficking in Persons a crime punishable by up to 25 years in prison, Beautiful Dream Society Africa Director, Sonya Martinez, and other BDS staff and volunteers were in court today to support a courageous survivor of human trafficking as she heard the GUILTY verdict read, marking the very first time that someone was convicted of human trafficking in the country. This young Chinese woman, the very one who nicknamed the shelter the ‘Love House’ and calls Sonya “my mother”, sat in front of the court room as still as stone, but tears began to flood her cheeks as she heard the judge summarizing the case and recounting details of the harrowing story of her ordeal.
The judge clearly outlined:
- The claimant left China for greener pastures, but she was very deceived once she arrived in Lesotho.
- Her passport was taken, automatically reducing her to someone with substandard opportunities for a healthy working life.
- She was treated less than human and made to be a modern day slave.
- She was forced to become a prostitute and made, then, to be a sex slave.
- She never received any money for anything she did.
- The victim is obviously lamenting over the horrible and unjust things that have been done to her.
- The summary presented by the Department of Public Prosecution meets the requirements for guilty plea under the ATIP law of 2011, and therefore the verdict of GUILTY as requested by the prosecution will stand.
There was great rejoicing! Once everyone got back to the shelter, there was a lot of conversation on Sonya’s computer via Google translate while Sonya made sure that our survivor had understood all of the proceedings and the guilty verdict, though thankfully the court had provided a Chinese interpreter to ensure her comprehension. A new plan for the life of our former victim was discussed and a new job opportunity. Our survivor also wanted Sonya to know that the BDS team was her family and she wanted to be a “good daughter for her good mother”.
I’m not sure how many of you have ever used Google Translate, but we should make a commercial about how Google is helping us to help victims of human trafficking! As the brave young survivor typed in the words that she wanted to say in Chinese, this is the broken mismatched English translation that popped up on the screen:
I would like the Chinese newspaper China in South Africa: African Chinese newspaper submissions, write a paper, is a very long article. Content: a touching thing of "the United States is Sonia save a trafficking of Chinese girls ". Until I my article in the Chinese newspapers published in Africa, I will get a little reward contributors, and then I will continue to write a book, also about the things you save me and I used to my boss may not work the money thing, and personal experience in Africa, write a book, look forward to a Chinese director to see my story, then play the movie come true!'
Well…that pretty much sums it up from our former victim’s perspective:
“Sonya save a trafficking of Chinese girls”
Our dream is to see lives made beautiful. Today, thanks to all of you, a life-changing event occurred for this young woman who now has a hope and a future and wants to share her story to help others. She will never be the same and Lesotho will never be the same.
-Jennifer Crow
Photo by Derek Green
Posted on
Wed, January 18, 2012
by Jennifer Crow
filed under