October 16th 2023.
Ilja Abbattista was just 18 when she was exposed to the horrific sight of a blindfolded woman being raped in the hallway of her home. A queue of men lined up to take their 'turn', and Ilja was frozen in terror. If she said anything, her and her family's lives would be put at risk. This was just the beginning of her two and a half year nightmare of being trafficked across Europe.
Born to a Dutch mother and an English father, Ilja grew up between the UK and the Netherlands. Her parents were separated, and she was put into care at the age of 13. Feeling unloved and alone, Ilja found solace in the simple pleasure of blowing bubbles outside her Dutch grandmother's house. When she was 17, Ilja was moved into a flat, but was unable to afford bills or food. Debts began to pile up, and when a friend suggested she marry a man who would get her a visa in return, she decided to take the chance.
Unfortunately, the men turned out to be traffickers who took Ilja's passport and other paperwork and the promised marriage never materialised. Ilja was told that if she spoke out about them, she would 'owe a debt' that could only be repaid by either having them cut off one of her fingers, having them kill one of her family members, or 'working' for them for a week. Faced with this ultimatum, Ilja reluctantly agreed to the final option.
Ilja was forced to repeatedly have sex against her will in seedy nightclubs and the windows of Amsterdam's red-light district. Mentally and physically exhausted, she was beaten as punishment for falling asleep on the job. At one point, she was nearly killed by an enraged man she lived with. However, she managed to survive thanks to his two dogs who jumped between them both.
Ilja was also subjected to witnessing other atrocities, including suspected murder, physical abuse and gang rape. Whenever she attempted to escape, her traffickers would control her financial assets, threaten her family, or use brute force. It's an all-too-familiar story for the millions of people around the world trapped in exploitation, and Ilja is now sharing her story to give a voice to other survivors.
In October 1993, Ilja managed to escape her captors. But it wasn't easy, as she experienced first-hand the manipulation and fear tactics used by traffickers. Ilja recalls being taken to a police station for questioning after the gang rape she witnessed, only to find one of her traffickers waiting for her in the interview room. This incident proved to her that traffickers are incredibly clever and deceiving.
Ilja is now an advocate for human trafficking survivors, making it her mission to help those who are still in captivity. She wants to highlight the fact that it is never that simple for someone to just leave, and that victims of human trafficking often feel loyalty towards their captors. It's a heartbreaking reality, but one that we must continue to fight against.
Ilja Abbattista's childhood was filled with uncertainty, struggling to understand why she was placed into care at the age of 13. Her parents were separated and she grew up feeling unloved and alone. Her only escape was blowing bubbles outside her Dutch grandmother's house.
At 17, Ilja was given a flat, however she quickly became overwhelmed with bills and debts. Desperate for a way out, she was offered a visa in return for marriage. She accepted the offer, however her passport and paperwork were taken with no sign of marriage. Ilja soon realised the men were traffickers known for exploiting women.
When she told her friend about them, the traffickers claimed Ilja owed them a “debt”. The only way to repay it was to either have them cut off one of her fingers, have them kill one of her family members, or “work” for them for a week. Terrified and desperate, Ilja agreed to the final option.
Unfortunately, the work lasted two and a half hellish years, spanning across Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands. Ilja was ferried between seedy venues and dingy nightclubs and forced to repeatedly have sex against her will, working up to 23 hours a day in the windows of Amsterdam’s red-light district.
It was during this time that Ilja witnessed some of the most horrific scenes. Through an open doorway in her home, she couldn’t escape the sight of a blindfolded woman being raped by a queue of men taking their ‘turn’. Ilja was frozen in terror, knowing that if she said anything, her and her family's lives would be put at risk.
One day, the police came to the door. Ilja thought she'd be able to explain what happened and be freed from the torment of her captivity. But as she walked down the police station’s corridor, her heart sank. Through a glass window in the interview room she saw one of her traffickers following her. She was too petrified to tell the officers the truth.
Ilja also suspects that a woman in her group was murdered after she attempted to escape. Without any concrete evidence, the police investigation fell apart.
Ilja miraculously escaped in October 1993, and since then has been left weary at answering one question when sharing details of her horrific ordeal: ‘Why didn’t you just leave?’. Manipulation, control over financial assets, threats against family and brute force are all tactics used by traffickers. Ilja is sharing her story in a bid to give a voice to other human trafficking survivors, and to shed light on the issue.
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