Articles

Natalia's Story

Natalia, 23, from Russia

I was offered to go to Turkey and so I went. They promised me easy money.

When I arrived they took away my passport, my mobile phone. They kept us in the room for two days. There were two other girls there with me, one of them 18, the other 25. We couldn’t leave the room and were served food there.

On the third day the woman who brought us there stopped by and took away my friend. A little later my friend came back in tears. She also had a bruise. They wanted to sell her but she wouldn’t have it. So they started hitting her. Then they took me away too, made me into a prostitute. The woman would take all our money and only give us food.

One day, I and one other girl decided to run away. We lived on the sixth floor. It was impossible to jump from the window. I proposed to run away without the documents, but this friend of mine was afraid of the woman because she beat her a lot. That day we knew she would be alone there, so when she opened the door to bring in food we got out.

When we reached the ground floor, the woman’s pimp caught up with us. I managed to escape but my friend was taken back in. I went straight to the police. I told them I had neither documents nor a phone. Told them how long we had been there in that room. I explained where the flat was and they went there.

At first attempt, they couldn’t find anyone. But later that evening they caught them all, including the girls. There was a woman-interpreter who knew Russian. I couldn’t speak any Turkish. Only one of the girls knew Turkish. Through this woman I told them everything. 

I think of such men who pay for sex that they are not real men. I don’t believe normal men would want to buy women for sex. They can meet women they like anywhere. Those who pay for sex are not real men.

All men have mothers, sisters, wives. When they do this, can’t they think of some other men doing the same with their mothers, sisters, wives?

I don’t know.

Most often these are younger girls who are made to prostitute themselves. They are inexperienced and scared. They are beaten up a lot. They have bruises all the time. They are made to do this.  . .

What about the future? I’ll just keep working. I’d love to have my son here with me. I would like to have my own room or a flat, to work, to live. This is all. . .

All men are bastards. If they didn’t pay for sex there would be no prostitution. Those men who keep women in captivity should themselves be made to stay in some room like that. . .

What would you say to men who buy sex?

If I could, I would tell them they are not real men. If they didn’t pay money for sex there would be less prostitution around.