The 15-year-old teenager rescued from sexual exploitation in the Yanomami Territory covered at least 1,900 km without knowing what she would find when she arrived.
She left the interior of Maranhão with the promise of being a cook in Roraima, but she didn’t know that she would already be in debt when she arrived and would have difficulties to leave.
A CNN had access to information from the investigation by the Federal Police against youth recruiting groups in the state.
According to investigations in the three inquiries in progress, job invitations are not always for cooks.
There are also various and even explicit invitations to work in prostitution.
What they don’t know, according to the PF, are the conditions for going there and working there.
According to the delegate Marianne Rodrigues, the recruiters charge in gold the trip to transport the new hires, which generates an initial debt of around R$ 3 thousand.
“They don’t know it. They arrive at the mine already in debt and have to work to pay it off”, she details.
In testimonies, the victims report that they lived in rooms, called “fuscões”, made of canvas, “without apparatus or dignity”, says the investigator to CNN.
“They pay for the internet, weekly food, personal hygiene. These are degrading situations. To get an idea, it costs BRL 100 for a personal hygiene item, BRL 50 for a cigarette”, he exemplifies.
With that, according to the PF, the recruits contract numerous debts until a moment that they are no longer able to pay and end up staying in the region — against their will.
“Even to go out, you have to pay for transportation. That is, you have to pay off the debt on the way, the debts accumulated there and still pay the return home. Some debts can reach R$ 10,000”, says federal delegate Marianne.
The recruiters already investigated, for the most part, are from other states, such as Maranhão and Pará.
As for young women from the North region, as shown by the investigations, and many from Venezuela, which borders Roraima.
There have been three victims rescued so far, aged 15, 17 and 19. According to delegate Marianne Rodrigues, there are other areas investigated, but the three where they were rescued are the focus.
“Since the rescue of the 15-year-old girl, we have intensified investigations against sexual exploitation in these illegal mines and we have begun to discover new criminal organizations aimed at sexual exploitation and prostitution. Two people were arrested. Other people have an open warrant being sought,” the investigator clarified. CNN .
Rescued victims, for the most part, return home and the PF provides support along with guardianship advice, with psychological and financial support.
Source: CNN Brasil
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