A Death Not in Vain: Svetlana's True Story of Slavery

Traffickers get victims in a number of ways, but one common technique is to lure a victim away from friends and family with the promise of a job opportunity, often abroad.  This is the story of Svetlanta, from the U.S. Department of State Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons.

"Svetlana was a young Belarusian living in Minsk and looking for a job when she came upon some Turkish men who promised her a well-paying job in Istanbul. Once Svetlana crossed the border, her passport and money were taken and she was locked up. Svetlana and another foreign woman were sent to the apartment of two businessmen and forced into prostitution. Svetlana had other plans: In an attempt to escape, she jumped out of a window and fell six stories to the street below. According to Turkish court documents, customers did not take Svetlana to the hospital, they called the traffickers instead. These events led to her death. Svetlana's body lay unclaimed in the morgue for two weeks until Turkish authorities learned her identity and sent her body to Belarus. But Svetlana did not die in vain. Belarusian and Turkish authorities cooperated effectively to arrest and charge those responsible for contributing to a death and for human trafficking."

Svetlana's death will not be in vain, since her experience is now helping educate government agencies who combat human trafficking worldwide to prevent such exploitation.