Victims Voices: Gloria

Gloria received assistance through the NGO 'Hors la Rue' in France

One of nine children born to a Roma family, 14-year-old Gloria spent her early childhood in Romania in and out of child protective services. When she was 12, her parents took her out of institutional care and moved the family to France. Her parents forced Gloria to steal mobile phones and beg on the streets of Paris. Gloria understood that stealing was wrong, but if she refused, her mother would beat her.

The Paris police picked Gloria up, and to protect her safety, placed her in an emergency shelter. The organization Hors la Rue was asked to help Gloria because of its experience working with Roma children. At Hors la Rue's day centre, Gloria found a safe and welcoming environment where she could communicate with staff in her native language. Although she missed her family, Gloria decided that she did not want to return to her parents. Hors la Rue found her a foster home in the French provinces, far from her parents' negative influence. Today she is in vocational school and studying French. She is making excellent progress, and soon will transfer into regular classes.

Hors la Rue provides specialized and individualized care and support to child victims of trafficking and at-risk migrant children in and around Paris. Its educational activities and counseling support children's well-being, and it secures appropriate state-run services to meet their needs. Hors la Rue also works with the French authorities to better identify children who have been trafficked.

Donate to the Victims Trust Fund today and directly help people like Gloria. Visit www.unodc.org/humantraffickingfund to find out how.