When Issy* became pregnant, she tried to conceal it from her captors for as long as she could. When they found out, she was forcibly taken to an abortion clinic.

Issy was desperate to let one of the health professionals know that she did not want to go through with the abortion, but she did not speak their language and she was terrified of the consequences if her abusers saw her attracting attention.

However, the clinic refused to perform the abortion without a medical certificate as Issy was in the second trimester of her pregnancy. Issy was returned to the flat where she was being kept and was ordered to continue having sex with her clients until they no longer wanted her.

That night, Issy overheard her captors say that they would wait until Issy’s baby was born and then they would take it from her so she could continue working. Issy knew she had to escape. She chose a moment when her captors were distracted and ran out of the house. An older woman saw Issy visibly distressed and took her to a police station.

*Names changed to protect identities.

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Read Underground Lives: Pregnancy and Modern Slavery

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