FLASH
Shkruar nga Pamfleti
The report is based on interviews with dozens of people and documents how minors were initially involved in drug trafficking and then forced to have sexual relations.
The BBC has published an investigative article documenting how drug gangs in London have recruited and sexually exploited underage girls, using them to pay off debts or to bolster their criminal activity.
The investigation is based on interviews conducted over several weeks with dozens of people in the British capital, including five girls who say they have experienced sexual abuse. They say the groups initially approached them to sell drugs, transport weapons or commit thefts, before the situation escalated into sexual exploitation.
The investigation paints a complex picture of gang activity in London, with groups from different ethnic backgrounds operating in different areas of the city. According to evidence gathered by the BBC, girls are placed at the bottom of the hierarchy and face constant pressure.
"I didn't think I was a victim," Kelly said, as she revealed she was sexually assaulted by three men in the capital. She was initially forced to sell drugs, but said the exploitation then escalated.
"I had no money, I felt neglected and I saw an opportunity to feel like I was part of something, so I made some bad connections and pretty soon I started selling drugs on the street. But that turned into sexual abuse to keep people on our side if we owed them money, or as a lure for them to buy drugs from me and the gang I was part of ," she said.
"Girls inside gangs can't say no to sexual abuse. Inside that gang world, girls are at the lowest level and have to do what they're told. And that includes sexual relations," said an official.
"Any individual, group or gang that exploits children for sexual abuse is abhorrent. We want justice for every victim of these horrific crimes," a spokesman for the mayor of London said.
"The Mayor is clear that the Metropolitan Police must follow the evidence wherever it leads and he will continue to ensure that it does everything possible to combat all child sexual exploitation in the capital, including sexual abuse gangs, to build a safer London for everyone," he added.
Social workers caring for the abused, according to the BBC, explained that many of those being exploited came from broken families or had other problematic backgrounds such as abuse, drugs or poverty.
"I was 15 years old. Different men would come after me every night, sometimes 10 or 15 a month ," said another abused girl.
"They just gave us drinks, they gave us drugs. The next thing I knew, I was just in the bedroom with one of them. Then I was out. There could be another one. There could be another one after that. Sometimes it was just one. Sometimes it could be three. And then we would just leave," she says.
"I don't really remember their names, but I just know they were from South Asia. They didn't want anything else but sex ," she said.
"They wanted nothing more than sex. I was desperate and they would give me expensive things so I would feel wanted and then sleep with them. I felt like I had many lovers who paid attention to me. They were South Asian men who took advantage of my situation," said another abuser.
Lini një Përgjigje