To buy a child within ten hours

Human trafficking – such as child trafficking as well – a kind of modern slavery, where happen exploitation of young people and children who live in dire circumstances, outside countries borders and within them as well.

China is a booming market of child trafficking. Most of customer need slaves or just want another child. One of the largest network of children’s traffic is in the Northwest China’s Xinjiang Province. The child traffickers abduct or buy babies from their parents. They entice away with false job offers the 10-18 years old childrens, who then forced to do pick-pocketing and other minor crimes big cities. Recently, two child trafficking network is uncovered by the authorities in China. According to the official statement 608 suspects were arrested and 178 children released from the captivity. 49 children were bought during 4 years by a gang of 23 members. They bought them from Yunnan Province and were sold in other provinces. They bought the boys for about $200 and sold them more than $600, while price of girls were $150 and sold them for about $300. One of them – as it turned out – with his brother also once kidnapped and forced into marriage in North China. He entrusted to sell his younger brother and two babies. Later – as he told – he “understood” that this is a “great business”, so he launched his own business.

Before the terrible earthquake of 2010 in Haiti nearly 2,000 children abducted each year, however since the tragedy this number – it is estimated that – quadrupled. Traffickers are waiting with cash in hand that the desperate parents to sell their children. They reassure them with false promises  that lovely families wait for their children in  America or Europe. Mostly, however these children go to the Dominican Republic, where prostitution or other labor forced. Some parents give their children away in hope for a better life for them. But they never see their children again and a few money what they got just enough for a few weeks. A 38-year-old woman, for example sold her four children for $1,5 apiece.

In 2008, Dan Harris, ABC News reporter has made an attempt how long it would take to get a child in Haiti illegally. He left New York in the morning, and  he met with a child trafficker in Haiti in early afternoon.  Harris told him he wants to buy a 10-11 years old child. The trafficker offered Harris $300. He bargained till it was down to $150 and he could buy a young girl whose life was valued at  $150. Harris was able to buy a child less then 10 hours. While he was  in Haiti he knew another girl too, she was 8 years old and there was fear in her eyes.  She missed her family and  she was beaten. Her  dreams were to go to school, receive an education and learn how to drive a car.

Romania is a major supplier of Western Europe in terms child trafficking, several hundred children are sold abroad. Child trafficking in Romania in terms of outlets in Western Europe is a major supplier of counts, The majority of children forced to begging, burglary or become victims of prostitution. A 17 year old girl escaped her from Austria, where she was forced into prostitution in a guest house. Her boyfriend lured to Austria and promised to her lots money  for easy work. The victims are naive teenage girls who live in humble circumstances, and  payments can be influenced them and attract to foreign countries, but they often force them into sexual slavery.

Last year, hundreds of children were forced into prostitution in Europe by Nigerian traffickers. Young girls are recruited in Nigeria, and promised to them seek asylum in the Netherlands. They got false papers. The traffickers  voodoo practices resorted to intimidate their victims, put pressure on them. A few drops of their blood was taken, and cut their nails themselves were a few pieces. They had to promise grateful to a voodoo priest, because they can to travel to Europe. When the police found them, some girls only refused to confess against their traffickers till a real  Nigerian priest assured them not to fear from voodoo curse.

The trafficked children are often forced to do work from the minute they wake up to the minute they are allowed to go to sleep. Usually these children are beaten, underfed, and sexually exploited. In every 26th seconds a child sold by child traffickers in the World…

Written by Ilona Kaszanyi

Tagged Child labour, children trafficking, forced children, girl traffic, illegal, violence