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LONDON - Sex slaves smuggled into Britain are set to receive millions of pounds for their "pain and trauma" after a ground-breaking Government decision to compensate victims of people trafficking.
The first payouts of more than £140,000 ($368,496) were made to four women who suffered a "sustained period of sexual abuse".
A further 10,000 are estimated to be eligible under a new interpretation of Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority guidelines.
Authority officials told the London law firm Lovells, which is acting for a number of the victims, that it would "officially recognise" the trauma experienced by thousands of women and children.
The women who received the payouts were smuggled from Eastern Europe by British-based criminals using established international sex trafficking networks.
One girl was illegally brought into the UK five years ago, aged 13. Another was trafficked in 2003 when she was 16. Both were kept prisoner by the same trafficking syndicate until they managed to escape at the start of last year.
According to lawyers they were subject to "forced prostitution, multiple rapes and beatings" while being held captive.
The scale of sex trafficking is of increasing concern to police.
Officially, the Home Office believes the number of illegal immigrants being sexually exploited at any one time is about 4000. Investigators and support groups say the number is likely to be more than 10,000 and describe known cases as the "tip of the iceberg".
- Observer
