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17 December 2007
In December, four women who were trafficked from eastern Europe and forced into prostitution in the UK, were awarded more than £140,000 as compensation for the trauma they experienced. Using international trafficking networks, one of the women, now aged 18, was brought into the country five years ago and another was trafficked at the age of 16 in 2003. The women were subjected to forced prostitution, multiple rapes and beatings. They were also refused any payment and threats were made to their lives if they tried to escape. Two of the women did however escape, at the start of last year.
This is a precedent setting case in which the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority has officially recognised that trafficked women and children are entitled to compensation as victims of violent crimes, which includes false imprisonment and forced prostitution.
