A CHARITY THAT supports women impacted by human trafficking and sexual exploitation has seen a 35% increase in demand for services.

According to Ruhama’s annual report, published today, the charity engaged with 497 individuals last year, 224 of whom were new referrals. 

Of those, 147 were victims of human trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation, an increase of 68% in new referrals of victims from 2021. 

212 individuals were impacted by prostitution, while 138 individuals were at risk of sexual exploitation. 

The charity’s CEO Barbara Condon said: “Ruhama works with some of the most marginalised and vulnerable women in society and witness daily how prostitution and sex trafficking is inherently violent, exploitative and demeaning to women.

“The violence and complex trauma encountered can have a lifelong impact. We need to do more to prevent both and protect women and girls from sexual violence and sexual exploitation,” she said.

The report includes a number of case studies. Among them is one woman from Cameroon, who tells of meeting a middle-aged woman who promised to help her get a job as a care assistant in the UK.

After making the trip with the woman, her passport was taken from her and she was locked in a room.

The woman told her she owed her €50,000 for the travel and accommodation and the only way to repay her was through prostitution. She was also warned that something could happen to her family if she did not comply. 

“My time in prostitution was very negative. My health has deteriorated over the
years, as I was constantly made to drink and take various medication. My state of
mind was often unclear,” she said. 

“I would often sleep with numerous men a day, 7 days a week. I had to be available to have sex with every man that was brought to me, at any time. Sometimes, if I was in pain or feeling unwell, I would refuse to sleep with them; to which they would respond by assaulting me. I was raped many times.”

The woman eventually escaped with the help of a man who took her to the airport and gave her money and a plane ticket. She got on a flight to Ireland and was taken to International Protection Accommodation Services.

“I contacted Ruhama after seeing one of their posters in a bathroom at a Direct Provision centre I was living in. My caseworker has been so helpful over the last while, assisting me in seeking medical help, finding a GP, and along all of the sexual health screenings I had to go through. She also helped me with reporting trafficking to the Gardaí. Other people at Ruhama also helped me through counselling, employment support, and education consultations,” she said.

Ian Carter, the chair of Ruhama, details in the report how service provision has expanded in counselling and trauma therapy, outreach, casework teams and delivery of training.

The charity  supported more than 200 service users in its Education and Development programme, while 102 individuals were supported with job coaching, gaining and maintaining employment through its Bridge to Work programme.

“Training on prostitution and sex trafficking increased by 50%, enabling frontline professionals to identify and signpost potential victims of sexual exploitation,” the report continued.

Ruhama also expanded and opened a service in Limerick, their second hub based outside Dublin.

Minister for Justice Helen McEntee will launch the report this afternoon. 

Under Budget 2024, an additional €12 million was allocated for combating domestic, sexual and gender based violence, along with implementing the Zero Tolerance Strategy. 

McEntee will also publish a new National Action Plan on Human Trafficking shortly, which will set out how the multi-agency work to combat human trafficking and support victims will be taken forward over the next four years.