Five traffickers sentenced to life imprisonment in South Asia

July 2023

We’re celebrating long-awaited justice for Sampriti*. Sampriti was just 15-years-old when IJM helped police bring her to safety from sex trafficking in South Asia.

Sampriti’s ordeal began when she was betrayed by her boyfriend. He told her he was taking her to meet his aunt, but instead he trafficked her.

Sampriti managed to escape and make it back to her village. But her boyfriend had already spread the news of what had happened to her. The villagers viewed Sampriti as an outcast and ostracized her.

Rejected by her community, Sampriti was trafficked again and trapped in sexual exploitation for months until IJM helped police bring her to safety.

This was the beginning of Sampriti’s fight for justice. It took nine long years of tremendous courage and resilience in court, including 19 testimonies from Sampriti, along with 26 other witnesses and eight judges, to reach a verdict.

Justice was finally served in May when five traffickers were sentenced to life imprisonment, a significant milestone in the fight against trafficking and sexual exploitation in this area.

Sampriti heaved a sigh of relief when she heard about the conviction. She said, “Though it took some time, I’m happy that they will face the consequences for their actions. In this journey, I had IJM with me all along.”

Four more girls were brought to safety from sex trafficking after Sampriti worked with IJM and the police. Sampriti accompanied authorities to each location where she had been exploited, also leading to the arrest of two perpetrators.

*Pseudonym.