Slaves taste freedom
Traumatised women face difficult recovery
THE three women had only seen Aneeta Prem on TV, but it was that appearance back in July that would lead to their freedom months later after they had been held as slaves in suburban London for 30 years.
Ms Prem founded the Freedom Charity in 2009 to support victims of forced marriages and ‘‘honour crimes’’ and was on the news a lot in summer as she cranked up a campaign to help rescue young school girls from being forced into marriage.
It was the combination of her voice, the fact she looked ‘‘ nice’’ and ‘‘ safe’’ and the word ‘‘freedom’’ in the title of her group that led to one of the slaves, a 57-year-old Irish woman, to risk all and make a telephone call.
They were not in a forced marriage nor were any part of a forced sex vice ring, but for three decades they had been held in servitude, constantly watched, never allowed outside without an escort and terrified.
Yesterday at a safe house in London, the three slaves, including a 30-year-old British woman held in captivity since birth and a 69-year-old Malaysian woman, met Ms Prem for the first time.
All four cried uncontrollably in each other’s arms.
‘‘ You saved our lives,’’ one of them said through her tears.
On October 18, the Irish captive tentatively rang the charity group on the televised 24-hour ‘‘freephone’’ helpline number and said she was not young or in a marriage but knew of three ‘‘friends’’ being held in servitude for three decades.
God knows what was going through her mind as she punched in the 11-digit number. It is known the women were regularly beaten, tormented and brainwashed.
Welfare workers were horrified by the initial call for help. No address was given at that stage or names but the woman said her ‘‘friend’, then she, just needed freedom.
What then started was what police have described as ‘‘ secret negotiations’’ between the woman and a single appointed charity worker Vineeta Thornhill, the charity’s CEO.
The calls and talks continued for weeks, for authorities at an agonisingly slow pace, but a necessary pace for those who were clearly severely traumatised.
The woman revealed she was allowed to go out to hang out washing and occasionally walk to the shops — but only under the tight control of her captors.
In consultation with police specialists, Ms Thornhill eventually set up a clandestine meeting with the Irish woman and her 30-year-old fellow captor.
Eventually two of the women walked out of the house to be met by the case worker and police, with other officers then going back for the Malaysian lady.
It would be another 27 days before police could establish the facts from the women, said to be in a state of severe distress, and arrest the pair of suspects at the home. They were questioned then bailed.
Police commander Steve Rodhouse yesterday said the case was a ‘‘complicated and disturbing picture of emot- ional control over many years’’ and he, like the public, had many unanswered questions still. But he said no one should be skeptical about the women’s claims, plight or their state now.
‘‘Trying to label this investigation as domestic servitude or forced labour is far too simple,’’ he said.
‘‘What we have uncovered so far is a complicated and disturbing picture of emotional control over many years, brainwashing would be the most simplest term, yet that belittles the years of emotional abuse these victims have had to endure.’’
Ms Prem said the women were holding up but they were severely distressed.
‘‘This is the start of a very, very long journey for them,’’ she said.