The Incident
In 2018, in the quiet village of Neno in southern Malawi, three young women responded to an employment opportunity: to become childminders in the city of Blantyre. THeir lives changed dramatically as they found themselves imprisoned in a brothel and forced to have sex against their will with eight different customers every day. After three harrowing months, the three women managed to escape; People Serving Girls at Risk (PSGR), a local organization, playing a pivotal role in their rescue and rehabilitation.
Survivor’s Story
One of the girls was Esther Manda (not her real name) who was 15 at the time. She was required to have sex with 8 men a day and would be beaten if she did not do so. She escaped to a police station from where she was again kidnapped by relatives of the traffickers who threatened to kill her if she testified. They then let her go. After her ordeal she was treated for sexually transmitted diseases and PTSD by the NGO People Serving Girls at Risk. The case has not reached a conclusion.
Perpetrators Information
The trafficker, owner of a pub/brothel in Blantyre, was apprehended. However, to date, there has been no successful conclusion to this case.
Legal Outcomes
The Trafficking In Persons Act (2015) provides for severe penalties, but the justice system faces obstacles, including fines instead of jail sentences for traffickers and a reportedly empty Trafficking in Persons Fund. ReliefWeb reports that in 2022 the criminal case had been ongoing for four years and was still at the pre-trial stage. As of Dec 2023 there is absolutely nothing available online to show that the case went any further – it appears to have vanished out of the criminal justice system.
Laws & Legislations
While the Trafficking In Persons Act (2015) establishes substantial penalties for trafficking, its implementation faces hurdles. Courts often impose fines instead of the legally mandated jail sentences, and the fund allocated to aid survivors and support justice efforts remains depleted. Malawi has several NGOs united under the Malawi Coalition Against Trafficking, actively working against this pervasive issue.
