survivor stories: valencia - crs university...survivor stories: valencia modules 1, 2, 5, & 6...

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Survivor Stories: Valencia MODULES1,2,5,&6MEETVALENCIAHaving suffered from parental abuse for as long as she could remember,whenValencia turned 18 she left her family home in Poland andmoved toGermanyinsearchofwork.Often,shesleptunderbridgesanddugthroughtrashbins to find some food toeat.OnedayamanofferedValenciaa fakepassportandatickettotheUSA ifshewouldposeashiswife.Thinkingthiswouldbeherbigbreak,Valencia accepted. Shedidn’t realize that once shearrivedattheairportterminal,hernewpartnerwouldputaguntoherheadandinsistthatsheswallowatrayofsmallballoonsandretaintheminsideherbodyuntiltheypassedthroughcustomsinNewYork.Valenciawasscaredbytheprospectofcarryingillegaldrugs,butfelttrapped.

Module2

Valenciafeltdreadfullyafraidthatoneoftheballoonssheswallowedwouldburstontheairplane,orthatshewouldbecomeillandthentheauthoritieswoulddiscovertheillegaldrugsshewastransportinginsideherbody.EvenaftersafelyarrivinginNewYork,herpartnerkeptatightreinbyaddingnewthreats–tellingherthat,ifshewantedtostayoutofjail,shenowhadtodohisbiddingasaprostituteforsomeofhisdrug-enterprisefriends.NotabletospeakEnglish,Valenciafeltcompletelytrapped.Whowouldeverbelieveherthatwhathappenedwasnotherfault?

Module5AtatruckstopinNewJersey,adriverwitnessedaninteractionthatmadehimsuspectillegalactivity.HecalledtheNationalHumanTraffickingHotline–1-888-373-7888–andprovidedthemwithasdetailedadescriptionashecould.

Module6WhatcanyoudotohelpValenciaandotherslikeher?LearnhowtoidentifyandrespondtocasesofhumantraffickingintheUSA.