A Story of God's Work Through IJM

Libby’s Update
November 2012
“Helping to end injustice while introducing
students & faculty to the God of justice”

An Incredible Story of God's Work

MUMBAI, INDIA – IJM Mumbai got a call from the Kolkata police de-partment. The police had been looking for Sundari,* a teenage girl who had gone missing three years earlier. Her brother had been the one to report the case, and he had refused to give up hope.
After months and months of false starts and dead ends, the Kolkata police believed they had finally found Sundari – she had been trafficked from Kolkata to a red-light district outside of Mumbai, nearly 1,000 miles away.

After a 36-hour train ride, they got to the brothel where they believed Sundari was trapped, and IJM staff, police and Sundari's brother made their way up the dark staircase to the fourth floor. As soon as Sundari saw her brother, she "literally jumped for joy." She had not seen him for three years, and could not believe he had been looking for her all this time.

IJM Mumbai’s Police Liaison held the hands of both young women as they walked out of the dark brothel. Sundari and the other girl said they had not seen the sun for three years.

Police arrested two suspects who will face trafficking charges if indeed they were running the brothel where Sundari and the other girl endured unspeakable violence.

Back at the Mumbai police station, the brave survivors answered questions. They gave harrowing reports of the brutal brothel, which operated on a "token system." A brothel customer would buy a token and get ten minutes with a girl, meaning the girls were raped by multiple men, multiple times in an hour. If they did not comply, the girls were beaten.

Sundari was eager to return home to Kolkata with her brother, and IJM will continue to support her so she can thrive in freedom. The other young survivor has been settled into an aftercare home for minors, where she can get the care and counsel she needs.

* A pseudonym has been used for the protection of this IJM client.

* To read the full version of this story, go to IJM’s website at www.ijm.org.

*Libby Swenson has been on Staff with Cru for 17 years and currently serves as Partnership Director of IJM/Cru. International Justice Mission is a human rights agency that brings rescue to victims of slavery, sexual exploitation and other forms of violent oppression. Cru is partnering with IJM to help end injustice while introducing students and faculty to the God of justice.

“He has shown you oh man, what is good and what does the Lord require of you, but to seek justice, to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God?” Micah 6:8