Child Sex Trade is Still Growing
by Jayne Atheton
THE number of children being smuggled into Britain as sex slaves is
growing.
The UK is among the eight leading 'receiver' nations for the youngsters
from Eastern Europe and Africa, according to two new reports.
They estimate there are up to 10,000 children unaccompanied in Britain.
Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Norway and the Netherlands
were also singled out.
The youngsters, mostly girls smuggled across borders to be sold into
prostitution, say the reports, one which was partly funded by the
European Commission.
They revealed that many children are placed on flights to Britain with
fake documents, which they shred during the flight. They give themselves
up to immigration officials but quickly escape after being placed into
care.
Some children also reach Britain as stowaways on ferries and lorries,
while others are brought as the dependants of adults who pass them on to
pimps.
Many of the children being brought to work as prostitutes in Britain are
from Africa and are coerced with threats of voodoo and ju ju magic.
One girl reported she was forced to drink blood in a room filled with
the severed heads of women.
She was later told that if she did not go to Britain to work and pay
back the money to her captors, she would swell up to die.
A separate BBC investigation into human trafficking revealed that
thousands of children were being sold into Britain from Africa as 'cash
cows' to claim social services benefits.
The investigation was prompted by the case of eight-year-old Victoria
Climbie, who was murdered after being handed over to an aunt by her
parents.
Radio 4's Today programme said it had evidence that the practice was
widespread in Britain and Ireland.
