US embassy cable - 04BRATISLAVA51

UNCLAS  BRATISLAVA 000051 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
DEPT FOR EUR/NCE, G/TIP 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SMIG, PGOV, KJUS, LO 
SUBJECT: TRAFFICKING VICTIM TELLS HER STORY 
 
1. Summary: A Slovak woman came to Embassy Bratislava 
to provide details on her ordeal of being a victim of 
human trafficking and how she used fraudulent documents 
to enter and remain in the U.S. between 1998 and 2003. 
Conoff and poloff initially interviewed the subject on 
December 29, 2003.  RSO further investigated the 
allegations on January 7, 2004.  The subject was 
seeking advice to clear her U.S. criminal charge of 
grand theft in order to have the option of traveling to 
the United States in the future.  We offer her story of 
how she moved from Slovakia through Europe to the U.S. 
as a snapshot of human trafficking.  Post provided 
information on organizations that offer assistance to 
trafficking victims both in the U.S. and Slovakia.  End 
Summary. 
 
From Slovakia to the Czech Republic 
----------------------------------- 
 
2. In August 1997, a trusting seventeen year old met an 
Albanian national - Tony - at a local Bratislava caf. 
Having known Tony only for a few days, she accepted an 
invitation from him to travel to Prague, Czech Republic 
for a weekend, which turned into two weeks of shopping 
and relaxing at one of the most exclusive hotels in 
Prague.  During their stay Tony purchased clothes for 
her and took her to fine restaurants. 
 
From the Czech Republic to Germany 
---------------------------------- 
 
3. On what turned out to be her last day in Prague, 
Tony introduced her to two other women, one Slovak and 
one Ukrainian.  Shortly after the introduction, all 
three women were told to pack and that they would be 
going to Germany.  When she asked why they were going 
to Germany, she was told nothing except to get into the 
car.  At this point, the subject felt as though the 
situation was out of control and Tony had disappeared. 
The group of women were put in a car and driven to 
Duisberg, Germany by an unknown male.  Once in the car 
the doors were locked and she was not permitted to 
leave.  She assumed she slept at the border crossing, 
because she does not recall showing any documentation. 
 
4. Upon their arrival in Duisberg, Germany, the women 
were taken to an apartment where their handlers changed 
their hair color and brought them new clothes to wear. 
The women were guarded and not allowed to leave the 
apartment except when being transported to a private 
club to work.  At this club, the women were forced to 
engage in sexual acts and nude dancing against their 
will.  During a chance discussion with the club's 
owner, she mentioned that she was under 18 years of 
age.  Upon hearing this information, the owner 
discussed the situation with her Albanian handlers. 
After that, she was taken to Rotterdam in the 
Netherlands. 
 
From Germany to the Netherlands 
------------------------------- 
 
5. Arriving in Rotterdam sometime in September, she was 
forced to work in another club.  Again, as in the 
previous club, she was forced to engage in sexual acts 
and nude dancing against her will.  She stated that the 
owner's Jamaican girlfriend Michele managed the 
business and was the one to be feared. Several women 
worked voluntarily at the club, but the majority was 
forced to work and live in an apartment in the same 
building.  There were usually between four to eight 
women in single bedrooms.  They were under constant 
supervision and were prohibited from leaving the 
building.  When the handlers were not happy with 
earnings, the women were beaten with care taken not to 
leave bruises.  She often spoke of her situation with 
customers, even though it was strictly prohibited. 
 
From the Netherlands to the U.S. 
-------------------------------- 
 
6.  She lived in Rotterdam for four months until she 
met a club customer, who offered to help her escape the 
situation.  After several meetings at the club, a 
Canadian national - Stanley - spent approximately USD 
 
1,000 to obtain a fraudulent Belgian passport and 
driver's license. She suspected that he also paid a 
significant sum to the club for her release.  Both 
walked out of the front door in mid January 1998 and 
she went along with him to get out of Rotterdam. 
 
Living in the U.S. 
------------------ 
 
7. She entered the U.S. in January 1998 in Los Angeles 
under her assumed name and using her fraudulent Belgian 
passport.  Stanley maintained two residences in the 
U.S. and traveled frequently for business. She claimed 
that Stanley was possessive and required that she 
accompany him while traveling around the United States. 
She was left alone quite infrequently.  She was not 
physically prevented from leaving the house and did not 
report any physical abuse; rather "mental abuse".  For 
example, Stanley would mention that it was he who 
rescued her from the club in the Rotterdam and that she 
owed him for that. 
 
8. Stanley introduced her to his business associates as 
his wife and they had no other friends.  While living 
in the U.S she contacted her family in Slovakia, who 
had initiated an Interpol search, and was later visited 
by her sister and nephew.  According to a trafficking 
expert at the International Office for Migration (IOM), 
the subject enjoyed a good life with Stanley until she 
realized that he was not going to take her home and 
that she had no legal rights. 
 
Return home 
----------- 
 
9. After approximately four years in the U.S., she 
realized that her fake passport would soon expire and 
that she would be trapped.  She devised a plan to get 
caught stealing a purse, hoping authorities would 
notice her fraudulent passport and force Stanley to 
assist her in someway to return home.  The plan worked 
and she was arrested for grand theft.  Stanley 
discussed the need to renew her Belgian passport or 
risk being caught by INS and deported to Slovakia.  She 
attended her first court hearing, but did not tell the 
police that she was using a false name or that she 
wanted to return to Slovakia. 
 
10. Using her fraudulent Belgian passport, Stanley 
assisted her return to Slovakia to obtain new identity 
documents in her true name.  They traveled from the 
U.S. to Mexico City, Paris, Prague, then finally to 
Bratislava.  This departure from the U.S. was prior to 
her sentencing hearing for her grand theft conviction. 
In September 2003, they stayed in a hotel for the first 
few days in Bratislava.  During this time she told 
Stanley she did not want return to the U.S. with him. 
A few days later Stanley left Slovakia alone, but she 
now worries that he will return for her.  He is 
currently on business in Bangkok, and she also 
speculated about his possible intentions to traffic 
another minor. 
 
Background Information 
---------------------- 
 
11. The subject came from an affluent political family 
in Slovakia and speaks excellent English.  She feared 
deportation or negative press about her experience 
because of her family's position in Slovakia.  She is 
currently finishing high school in Bratislava, while 
working as an English teacher and translating for the 
Slovak police. She told RSO that she wanted to clear 
her name in the U.S. court system.  She felt bad for 
stealing the purse and wanted to be able to travel to 
the United States in the future. 
 
Comment 
------- 
 
12. Post offers this narrative to help shed light on 
trafficking patterns and tactics employed by 
traffickers.  Post directed the subject to the 
trafficking unit at Police headquarters and a local 
NGO, both of which were unknown to the subject. She 
 
offered to volunteer her experience in discussion 
groups organized by the International Office for 
Migration (IOM) for young women.  Post advised her to 
retain a lawyer in the U.S. for her criminal case. In 
addition, post provided some addresses of Florida 
trafficking organizations for further advice on legal 
matters. 
 
THAYER 
 
 
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