Dancing is an essential cultural expression in India. The country is commonly listed among the top 10 in the world in terms of the popularity and prevalence of dance culture.
Unfortunately, a network of traffickers saw this vibrant art form as an opportunity to sell young women.
These women and teenagers were being lured to the dance theater with hopes of self-expression. Instead, their selfhood was exploited, their bodies sold for sex.
A member of the community started to suspect that something was wrong with the studio. They tipped off police, who immediately reached out to The Exodus Road’s investigators.
Dancing is an essential cultural expression in India. Unfortunately, a network of traffickers saw this vibrant art form as an opportunity to sell young women. (Image representative.)
We were quickly able to identify the dance theater as a trafficking front. Once we delivered key evidence to law enforcement partners, they encircled the theater. That day, they freed 20 women and girls, and arrested the ten men and women who had been trafficking them.
The survivors were immediately willing to begin giving their testimony of abuse they’d experienced under the pretext of this dance theater. Their traffickers will be facing hefty fines and jail time. The women are under the care of the government to receive rehabilitation after what they’ve been through.
We believe that every human has the right to free self-expression. Thank you for helping make that possible for these 20 survivors!
