14-year-old girl now safe from violence in Cambodia
Forced Labour
February 2024
A 14-year-old girl in Cambodia, who suffered extreme violence and forced labour at the hands of her adoptive family, has just been brought to safety by authorities and IJM.
IJM has stepped in to provide urgent legal and emotional support to the traumatised girl.
Reports indicate that the man who was supposed to care for her instead forced her to drop out of school and work, cleaning a fishpond into the early hours of the morning and caring for his children.
Worse still, he used belts to abuse her, dragged her by the hair and hit her over the head. He even recorded explicit videos of the abuse.
Shockingly, when the girl fell ill and suffered ear injuries, the family failed to seek medical attention for her. The extent of the brutality she experienced has shocked the community.
The abuse came to light when a concerned neighbour reported the situation to the police. Although local police had been called before, the man had only received a warning.
Thankfully, today this young girl is safe and the couple is under investigation.
“It is imperative that concerted efforts are made to facilitate the girl's access to justice and to hold the perpetrator accountable,” said Ms. Heng Dalen, Anti Human Trafficking Police, Cambodia.
*Stock image used to protect survivor