Xin is from China. Her parents died suddenly when she was nine years old and she was taken in by a relative who put her to work as a domestic servant. She was aware of other women in the house who had many ‘boyfriends’ every day. At the age of 11 she was introduced to a man working with her aunt and forced into prostitution. She was terrified but too small to resist. The treatment she endured was physically and sexually barbaric, and she has scars all over her body as a result. At 14 she was discovered attempting suicide and kept in solitary confinement, often spending days on end in chains.


Aged 19, having endured ten years of slavery and prostitution, her aunt sold her to a customer. She was brought to the UK traumatised, terrified and bemused, but hoping that the man who had purchased her might help her. To her dismay she found herself in another brothel. It was approaching Christmas. It was cold, the days were short and the night hours long. After a few weeks she managed to escape through a bathroom window. She ran, wearing only flimsy indoor clothing and footwear. She didn’t speak a word of English and had no idea where she was. A passer-by found a Chinese person and Xin explained that she was in danger and was taken to the police. She applied to the Home Office for asylum and her claim was refused, but on appeal she was granted three years humanitarian protection.

Xin has invested a great deal in her relationship with us and has made tremendous progress. Initially she would sob silently throughout sessions, covering her head and staring at the floor. She was in such incredible pain but could not vocalise her distress. She begged me to make her forget. She trusted no one and had no concept of humanity. Any expression of caring was viewed with mistrust, and any attempt to comprehend her past seemed to be a violation.

After a very slow start, Xin began to engage in therapeutic work. She began to dress differently, taking pride in her appearance and discovering her femininity. It was a painful process for client and therapist, but gradually Xin felt able to trust the relationship and believe she was worth caring for. She has never missed an appointment, despite the pain of articulating her difficulties. Xin has eloquently expressed a commonly held sentiment: “I am like a baby again in this strange country…but my body is big. I have to start learning everything all over again, but I have to do it quickly because I have already lost so many years.”

Her therapist provided two detailed reports for her appeal hearing and gave evidence in court. This assisted in her asylum claim and but has also secured Xin’s trust in HBF. The provision of testimony (bearing witness) is a profound and important validation of a survivor’s experiences.

Xin is highly intelligent and has learned English very quickly. As soon as she was given leave to remain in the UK she got a job - only receiving state benefits for one week. She is optimistic about her future and enthusiastic to maximize her potential. She has grieved profoundly for the numerous losses and recognizes that she will never forget her trauma. She recently took the therapist’s hand, looked at her in the eye and said; “I will have a future and you will see it.”

Xin is writing about her experiences and providing us with feedback on how we can help other trafficked women.