All names are redacted and some details have been changed to protect the women's identities.
“My father rejected me because he was ashamed of me after someone sexually abused me. Later on, my entire family abandoned me, and I ended up in prostitution.”
These are Alicia’s words. She fled her home country and went to stay with a relative in Europe, but after losing her job as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, she found herself in a vulnerable situation once again and was lured to Sweden by an older woman who promised her a job. Once there, Alicia was forced into prostitution and endured both rape and psychological abuse. One day, police in southern Sweden conducted a raid and arrested two pimps, who were detained pending trial.
Alicia participated in police interviews and the subsequent legal proceedings, which ultimately led to the perpetrators being sentenced to prison. Since Alicia had no other way to support herself, she returned to prostitution, but a caring police officer continued to stay in touch with her and persuaded her to contact Talita.
Alicia participated in our one-year rehabilitation program and enthusiastically took part in everything from Swedish language classes to internships. Today she is doing well, and her dream is to attend college; most of all, she wants to study law.
Rita was lured to Sweden from a poor country with the promise of a job as a cleaning lady, but instead of a cleaning job, a life of utter misery awaited her, where she was forced, under threat, to sell her body, night after night, to sex buyers.
Some of the men mocked and abused her, calling her a “cheap slut.” One night we met her, after the police asked us to come to an apartment where they had carried out a raid. Rita listened when we told her that help was available, but she was afraid and declined. A few months later, the police found her again—and this time she dared to accept Talita’s help.
Rita moved into our shelter and participated in the program. At first, she was afraid that the traffickers would seek out her mother in her home country and punish her for her daughter running away from them, but when nothing happened and her mother was doing well, Rita was able to settle down and focus on her own inner healing.
A while ago, we celebrated her completing her year with us, and when she received her diploma and flowers, we were face to face with a completely different girl than the one we met that night when she arrived. Rita is an amazing person, a real fighter, and she has already landed her first job.
Cindy was found in prostitution by the police and their social workers during an intervention week in Västra Götaland. She had been transported to many different countries and used in prostitution by her pimps. They had monitored her via text messages and told her when a new john was coming in. Sometimes she didn't even have time to eat breakfast or take a shower before it was time to go again. Some of the customers were heavily intoxicated, others were threatening and violent.
Since Cindy does not speak English, she could never ask anyone for help. Scared and confused, Cindy initially declined the offer of help, but a day later she contacted the social worker to ask if the offer still stood, and Cindy was immediately picked up and transferred to Talita's shelter.
For the first few days, Cindy had a lot of anxiety and difficulty sleeping, but as she got to know the staff, she became more confident and her condition has become more stable. Nowadays, she often expresses her gratitude for the support around her and her biggest dream is to help others in the future. Here are her own words:
"I am very grateful for Talita and the chance to get out of this life. I never liked it, but I was chained to it. Now I feel free and I see a good future ahead of me."
Esther did everything she could to survive with her two children in the slums of her home country. If she could scrape together just 20 kronor a day, they managed to get by, but when hunger began to gnaw at her children’s stomachs, she agreed to go with a man who had promised to help her find work abroad. She left the children with a relative.
When Esther landed in Sweden, she didn’t even know what country she was in. She thought she would finally be able to send money home for food and school fees, but nothing turned out as she had hoped. She was forced into prostitution and wasn’t allowed to keep anything. The men who paid for her body didn’t hesitate to do whatever they wanted with her. Sometimes there were several at once. But one day she saw her chance and ran for her life, until, exhausted, she collapsed in a forest clearing and just cried.
A passerby noticed her and helped her contact the police. Esther was admitted to the hospital, and a day later, Talita was contacted. When she first came to us, her mouth was so swollen from the oral sex she’d been forced to perform that she couldn’t eat. She’d wake up at night crying after having nightmares about being choked during sex.
Today, Esther has a permanent job and her own apartment. Her three children have finally been reunited with their mother, and they all have residency permits here. Esther is a vibrant, positive, and cheerful person who loves fashion and has many friends.
