Hope returns for man who was trafficked, locked up and then made homeless
A man who was held prisoner and then made homeless after being trafficked is now starting a new life, thanks to Hope for Justice.
Lukas* was unsure about swapping his life in the Slovakian countryside for one in a strange and faraway UK city. But the woman who had offered him anything up to £900 a week to work in restaurants wouldn’t leave him alone. She returned again and again to offer him work, and in the end, he agreed.
After Lukas arrived, his hopes for his new life were dashed. He had to live with 13 others, including children. He was constantly left locked in the house. The woman kept telling him she would find him a job the next day.
Lukas became more and more distressed, as the woman refused to return his ID, savings, bank cards, driving licence and mobile phone, which she had taken on the journey to ‘keep safe’. Then she told him she couldn’t find him a job, and turned him out of the house without his belongings.
Abandoned and terrified, Lukas had no choice but to sleep rough for two weeks until a passer-by told him about a night shelter. Lukas was then admitted to hospital, where he bravely shared his experiences, and was told about Hope for Justice.
Our expert team came to Lukas’s aid, explaining how he could begin to rebuild his life with their help. We also provided him with clothing, a mobile phone, and other essentials to help get him back on his feet. Lukas is now living in safe accommodation and is on the road to recovery, having rediscovered what freedom feels like.
*Name changed and image posed by model to protect survivor’s identity
