And then he began beating me. She also detailed the abuse of the other women who were enslaved in the network, forced to have abortions after unprotected sex with customers, and subjected to inhumane physical and psychological torture. Reuse this content. The interview with Rama, which occurred as she was finalising her departure from a shelter for abused women, offered a rare insight from one of the women enslaved in the network, who have rarely spoken to the media since its ringleaders were detained last month. Or to say it to my brother. Most popular. As soon as you entered through his door, you might as well forget that there was anything outside these walls. She wants to live by herself, saying she has lost trust in all human beings, and still has nightmares about her incarceration.

Just forget it. Rama said the number of customers often doubled on weekends. She said women who had not yet lost their virginity when they arrived at the shelter had their hymens broken with a bottle. Underwear and dirty clothes are strewn by the entrance, coffee spilled on the ground from the police raid. Over the course of an hour, Rama — not her real name — described in harrowing detail a hellish nine months as part of the largest sex trafficking ring ever uncovered in Lebanon , in which she endured torture, including being beaten with cables and an electric baton, with a bathroom mat in her mouth to keep her from screaming. As for Rama, she said she wanted to stay in Lebanon, obtain a residency and work. Rama described how she was lured to Lebanon from a city in Syria where she worked as a waitress in a cafe. Her account meshes with details obtained independently by the Guardian from security and judicial sources involved in the investigation of the network, which eluded authorities for four years and enslaved 75 Syrian women. A minivan driver they met in Choueifat heard their story, and took them to a local office of Hezbollah, the Lebanese military and political organisation, who called the police.

After being seated in Chez Maurice, Rama said Rihawi entered the building and after paying the driver, informed her that she would now be a prostitute in the house he ran. Totale a newly-wed couple going to receive a document from the organisers 8. Some windows have been left ajar, and from there emerges the stench of rotting fruit from the dark interior, clothes and half-empty cigarette packs scattered about dingy rooms and beds with metal bars. They arrived at Chez Maurice, a derelict house that was visited by the Guardian after the police raid, where she would spend the next nine months. The women worked in two shifts between 9am and 6am the following day. As soon as you entered through his door, you might as well forget that there was anything outside these walls. When we left the place, our eyes hurt us because we were seeing the sunlight after such a long time. She wants to live by herself, saying she has lost trust in all human beings, and still has nightmares about her incarceration. The law also requires that victims of trafficking prove that they were compelled to act as prostitutes. He beat me until I surrendered, and told him yes.

And then he began beating me. Reuse this content. Their torture often consisted of being tied to a table that was set up like a crucifix, and beaten with a cable. Police officials have arrested the doctor responsible, who operated a clinic in the northern Beirut suburb of Dekwaneh, where investigators say he performed as many as abortions on women enslaved in the network. Halbnahe a newly-wed couple, wearing protective face masks, posing for photos on the steps of the Temple of Bacchus at the historic site of Baalbek2. Some of the girls were as young as 18 and the oldest were in their mids. There have been no known convictions for sex trafficking in the country since the law was passed.

And then he began beating me. As soon as you entered through his door, you might as well forget that there was anything outside these walls. Human rights campaigners want Lebanon to rescind the prostitution article in the penal code, and reform its existing statutes on human trafficking, as well as train judges and police officers in handling human trafficking cases. Some of the girls were as young as 18 and the oldest were in their mids.

• Some windows have been left ajar, and from there emerges the stench of rotting fruit from the dark interior, clothes and half-empty cigarette packs scattered about dingy rooms and beds with metal bars.
• And then he began beating me.
• It is a great joy to be on the steps of Baalbek, like many great artists who came here.
• Underwear and dirty clothes are strewn by the entrance, coffee spilled on the ground from the police raid.
• It is a great joy to be on the steps of Baalbek, like many great artists who came here.
• She wants to live by herself, saying she has lost trust in all human beings, and still has nightmares about her incarceration.
• She also detailed the abuse of the other women who were enslaved in the network, forced to have abortions after unprotected sex with customers, and subjected to inhumane physical and psychological torture.

An indictment confirmed many of her allegations. The women, 29 of whom lived in Chez Maurice with the others in a nearby house, were forced to have sex as many as 10 times a day on weekdays. He beat me until I surrendered, and told him yes. Some windows have been left ajar, and from there emerges the stench of rotting fruit from the dark interior, clothes and half-empty cigarette packs scattered about dingy rooms and beds with metal bars. A minivan driver they met in Choueifat heard their story, and took them to a local office of Hezbollah, the Lebanese military and political organisation, who called the police. And then he began beating me. Some of the girls were as young as 18 and the oldest were in their mids.

Totale newly-wed couples, wearing protective face masks, posing for photos on the steps of the Temple of Bacchus at the historic site of Baalbek6. Lebanon Middle East and North Africa news. Halbnahe a newly-wed couple, wearing protective face masks, posing for photos on the steps of the Temple of Bacchus at the historic site of Baalbek5. Their torture often consisted of being tied to a table that was set up like a crucifix, and beaten with a cable. The women, 29 of whom lived in Chez Maurice with the others in a nearby house, were forced to have sex as many as 10 times a day on weekdays. She said women who had not yet lost their virginity when they arrived at the shelter had their hymens broken with a bottle. She was forced to have sex on average 10 times a day and imprisoned in a decrepit house without even a glimpse of sunlight. Officers with the Internal Security Forces arrived and questioned the girls, before planning a raid to rescue the rest. Rama said she learned from the other women at the shelter that that was how many of them were brought to the house, some living there for four years.