Twelve-Year-Old Girl Rescued After Being Trafficked in India

A twelve-year-old girl from Bangladesh was rescued from a human trafficking network in India after enduring horrific abuse by more than 200 men over a three-month period. The girl initially fled to India, fearing punishment from her parents for failing an exam. She was smuggled across the border by a woman she trusted, who ultimately sold her into a sex trafficking ring in Nadiad, Gujarat.

The rescue operation occurred on July 26, 2023, as local police collaborated with the Harmony Foundation, an NGO dedicated to combating human trafficking. The girl had been subjected to relentless sexual violence until her rescue. Since the operation, authorities have arrested ten individuals connected to the trafficking network, but activists stress that this is only the beginning of the girl’s recovery journey.

Abraham Mathai, founder-chairman of the Harmony Foundation, expressed deep concern for the child’s well-being. “This girl has not even reached her teenage years, but her childhood has been stolen by such monsters in the flesh trade,” he stated. He emphasized the need for society to recognize the vulnerabilities that lead to such exploitation, particularly the dangers posed by harsh parenting.

Local police commissioner Niket Kaushik confirmed that investigations are underway to dismantle the trafficking network. “We are working diligently to uncover the full extent of this operation and protect other vulnerable children,” he said. Nevertheless, activists like Madhu Shankar argue that police efforts are inadequate. “I have often seen minor girls begging in areas like Vashi and Belapur, who are often stolen as babies from villages and brought to cities for exploitation,” Shankar noted.

The situation reflects a troubling trend in India, where sexual violence against children has surged dramatically. A report by Child Rights and You revealed a staggering 96 percent increase in sexual violence cases between 2016 and 2022, with nearly 40,000 incidents of child rape and sexual assault reported in 2022 alone.

In a separate yet equally disturbing incident, a nineteen-year-old girl was gang-raped by twenty-three men earlier this year, illustrating the urgent need for systemic change in how authorities address such crimes. The victim reported being abducted as she returned home from a friend’s house and was subsequently passed among attackers.

The plight of this young girl highlights the broader issues of human trafficking and child exploitation that persist in India. Activists continue to call for more robust protective measures for at-risk children, urging society to listen and act before it is too late.