Now visualize being beaten, forced to perform sexual perversions, isolated with no grasp of the language of that country, and then being forced to work as an indentured servant.

This was the life of a woman who came to Fort Wayne after meeting her husband through a mail-order bride site. For a year, she lived in a large home that was purchased with the $300,000 she had brought with her; she didn't know that her name wasn't on the mortgage.

Her husband took her to his church every week - but he was always at her side. It wasn't until the woman began to learn English that her teacher and translator realized something was very wrong; the woman held a college degree, but she had no money and was forced to stay in her home every day.
Eventually, with the help of the English teacher, charges were filed against the woman's husband. He was given a one-year suspended sentence for domestic violence, and a no-contact order was issued.
This was one of the grim stories told by Tena Dellaca-Hedrick of Forensic Nursing Specialties during a talk on human trafficking Wednesday at the YWCA's monthly Diversity Dialogue.

Dellaca-Hedrick laid out the grim statistics to a gathering of 28 women and two men: More than 2 million people are trafficked worldwide every year, and a fifth of those are in the U.S.

Human trafficking is catching up with the illegal drug trade in profitability, as criminals have realized that a drug can be sold only once while a human being can be sold over and over again.

The people being trafficked aren't just sold as sex slaves, Dellaca-Hedrick said. Many are sold as indentured servants to work in people's homes, nail salons and restaurants, as well as at construction sites. More than 200,000 women and children are brought into the U.S. each year.

Worldwide, 136 countries are involved in human trafficking, including India, where buying a human costs less than buying a cow.
Dellaca-Hedrick defined human trafficking as “a crime against humanity, involving the act of recruiting, transporting, transferring, harboring or receiving a person through a use of force, coercion or other means, for the purpose of exploiting them.”
Adults as well as children are being exploited. Dellaca-Hedrick read the group a quote from a retired American schoolteacher who said, “On this trip, I've had sex with a 14-year-old girl in Mexico and a 15-year-old in Colombia. I am helping them financially. If they don't have sex with me, they may not have enough money for food. If someone has a problem with me doing this, let UNICEF feed them.”
Dellaca-Hedrick said being aware what is going on around you is one way people can help fight the problem. Frequently people don't ask questions of their neighbors, for example, asking why only three of the neighbor's five children dress well and go to school, while the other two rarely leave the house. There are laws to prosecute people involved in human trafficking, but part of the struggle is gaining the trust of the victims to report what is happening.

“If something doesn't look right, move on it,” Dellaca-Hedrick said.

She said it is better to be wrong and apologize than to ignore something that doesn't feel right. She said most cases are uncovered by curious neighbors.

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