Slavery Exists Today

Originally published in editorial column of The Hullfire #March2017

Sold is a film about modern day slavery and sex trafficking. It was recently screened in Hull as part of the nationwide Taught, Not Trafficked tour which is being run by Childreach International in an attempt to raise awareness about the issue. It follows the story of a young girl, Lakshmi, trafficked from her home in Nepal to a Kolkata brothel where she is forced to work in the sex trade.

It is a harrowing and affecting film which whilst being a fictional account, highlights a very real problem of similar stories that occur all over the world. 12,000-20,000 girls are trafficked from Nepal alone, every single year and this has increased by 300% since the earthquakes in 2015. But it’s also right under our noses in our own towns and cities. With an estimated 11,000 – 13,000 slaves still working in the UK it is highly likely that even in Hull, the birthplace of William Wilberforce, slavery still exists today.