Kus, Juri and April are from a very poor part of Lombok. They are just 15, 16 and 17 years old. Their families are uneducated and work the land.
Their village was approached by an agent of the human trafficking gangs (mafia) and the girls were offered “waitress training and work in a 5 star hotel”.
Kus, Juri and April are from a very poor part of Lombok. They are just 15, 16 and 17 years old. Their families are uneducated and work the land.
Their village was approached by an agent of the human trafficking gangs (mafia) and the girls were offered “waitress training and work in a 5 star hotel”.
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APIK is the only organisation in Lombok that helps victims of trafficking and domestic violence.Without APIK, these girls would be trapped in prostitution. |
Instead, the girls were forced into prostitution on an international circuit from Indonesia to Bali, Singapore, Thailand and Papua. Kus, Juri and April were forced to be with many men; some men got violent with them.
In desperation – and despite the vigilance of the madam – the girls ran away. Luckily, they found a kind taxi driver who told them about APIK and took them there.
The girls were able to stay with APIK for one night only, and then had to be moved on for their own security. The madam had ties to the mafia, placing everyone at risk. The girls were sent to social care, and APIK reported the case to the National Police in Jakarta, who were less likely to accept a bribe than local police (who would return the girls to the brothels). APIK also arranged security from Jakarta to protect the girls.
Beauty Erawati spoke to the girl’s parents and explained what had happened to their children. The parents were horrified. When they saw their daughters, Juri and April’s mothers fainted with shock.
Thankfully, the girls were accepted back into village life. The children’s parents tried to give APIK something of the little they had. Beauty was sent a gift of a shell that had been found by the family.
They had nothing else to give.
APIK: supporting victims of trafficking and domestic violence
APIK is the only organisation in Lombok that helps victims of trafficking and domestic violence. No one else is there to assist. Without APIK these girls would be trapped in prostitution until they’re too old to be used for sex.
APIK’s role is to make sure the trial gets to court. Without APIK 99.9% of all cases would not get that far. Trafficking is a $500 million dollar business, so has some powerful people behind it. Many cases are dropped because of bribery.
APIK offers moral support to victims through counsellingservices. The organisation puts pressure on police prosecutors and courts to ensure a fair trial. Unfortunately, this creates some powerful enemies.
We need your help to fight for justice
Too many women suffering violence cannot afford to fight their abusers. The court fees are simply too expensive for them. Without your support it is very likely that other young girls like April will be forced back into prostitution.
Your support is vital in bringing justice for the many more girls forced into prostitution.
If your support is not there, who will fight for them?
