By the time Ella arrived in the UK, she had been trafficked and sexually abused multiple times in multiple countries. She suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder, suicidal ideation, and had significant difficulties knowing who she could trust.
A decade ago, Ella was forcibly conscripted into military service in Eritrea as a young woman, escaping only when a relative helped her flee to Sudan while she was receiving medical treatment. There, an agent arranged work for her as a housekeeper, caring for children. But she was never allowed out alone and was not paid. She was later moved to another house where other young women “like her” were being held. The agent and his men repeatedly sexually assaulted her.
After several months, Ella escaped with the help of a man she had befriended and travelled to Libya. At the Libyan border, she was detained by police and imprisoned for seven months, where the guards physically and sexually assaulted her. After escaping prison, she was forced to work unpaid as a housekeeper for two months to cover the costs of onward travel. She later travelled to Italy and then to the UK.
