"I was sent to England to work as a domestic worker. On the first day, a man came, raped me and beat me – I was terrified. He forced me to have sex with lots of different men he brought to the house. It was horrible." - Grace
Who would you turn to? If you were looking for a better life but instead found yourself trafficked. If you were threatened, beaten, tortured, raped. Who would you turn to in a country where you don't speak the language? Where you have no way to communicate the terror you live with?
Victims of modern slavery don't know where to go or who to turn to for help. Even when they manage to escape from the criminals who coerce, threaten and exploit them, they face a system that neglects them. Many face destitution, homelessness and a return to the slavery they escaped from.
When Grace was finally found by the police, she was initially sent to a hostel but then transferred to an asylum detention centre. Instead of care and protection, she was treated like a criminal, imprisoned without access to medical or psychological help.
More needs to be done to protect victims of modern slavery in England and Wales. That's why the Modern Slavery (Victim Support) Bill is so important. If the Bill is passed, victims of modern slavery will be guaranteed the help they need, including somewhere safe to stay and the medical and psychological care they need to begin their recovery.
Please sign our petition and ask the Home Secretary, Priti Patel MP, to put the Government's weight behind this crucial Bill. Britain led the fight to end slavery in the past. The fight isn't over yet – please sign our petition.
