Resource

The Helen Bamber Foundation collaborated with University College London to do a first-of-its-kind UK study, gathering firsthand accounts from survivors about their experiences with oath-taking and how their relationship to the oath evolved over time.  

Traffickers use a wide range of tactics to control people, including false promises, debt bondage, isolation and threats about harming an individual’s loved ones.  

A particularly powerful form of psychological control is the abuse of an existing spiritual belief system, specifically the power of oaths and rituals in certain regions in West Africa.  

What is oath-taking? 

Across a range of West African contexts, traditional spiritual practices, often broadly referred to as “juju”, encompass diverse ritual practices believed to influence human affairs, such as providing protection, punishing wrongdoings, or facilitating good fortune. Within this context, oaths are often used to formalise agreements by invoking spiritual forces as witnesses. Breaking an oath is widely believed to have serious consequences, including illness, misfortune, or even death.  

In the context of human trafficking, ceremonies are weaponised to enforce an enduring bond of obedience and secrecy.  

The research 

In collaboration with University College London, we conducted a qualitative study with 10 clients  of HBF. Key themes included:  

1. Exploiting Fear of the Oath 

 “The juju was not created because of the traffickers. But… the traffickers use it as a weapon, as an instrument to remove the ladies or anyone they are trafficking…”  

Traffickers exploit pre-existing beliefs in the power of the oath, transforming rituals and ceremonies into credible, life-threatening contracts. This control is reinforced through multisensory, frightening rituals and the threat of physical violence, ensuring that the trafficker is perceived to hold absolute authority. 

“So, he decided to use that to intimidate me and to put fear into me, saying to me that I might go crazy, go mad or even die or my mum might even die in the process if I didn’t agree to do it… During the ceremony he told me not to tell anybody… I didn’t want to go mad and I didn’t want to die, so the juju might harm me if I disclosed it to anyone.” 

”When I got here…I was told that I had to start working as a prostitute. I didn’t want to, but I had to because I was there I was going to do whatever I was told to do, if not I was going to die.” 

The power of the oath lies in its perceived "limitless" and "enduring" nature, creating a persistent state of fear that follows the individual and acts as a significant barrier to recovery and justice. Because disclosing their situation is viewed as a violation of the sacred oath, victims are often too scared to seek help or report their traffickers. This enforced silence ensures their continued isolation and allows the cycle of control to persist. 

2. Shifting Power 

Survivors’ relationship to the oath changes over time, often coexisting alongside Christian faith.  

 “I was thinking of breaking the juju within myself whenever I was by myself or in the church. I was always praying, ‘God, forgive me. God, break every juju, every curse I have gone through’”. 

Participants noted that a lack of financial resources and social power, feeling like a “nobody”, increased their vulnerability to exploitation and fear of those in position of authority. 

“Nobody cares about you. Nobody. If I go to [country of origin] and I say this to them, they will lock me up. If the person who bought me would say I am lying, they will believe him not me.” 

3. Loss - “It affects all parts of you. All parts of you are dead.” 

Participants described the profound and multi-faceted losses they experienced during the period they were trafficked and the pain of not being able to live in line with their values and moral principles. 

“And, at that point, there is no turning back, because now you are having flashbacks of the oath you have taken and then you don’t know where you are. You don’t know anybody, you don’t have any relatives. So, it is more like just you in the desert standing all alone waiting for help to come, and then you are thinking, ‘Oh my God, what have I done?” 

4. Living Alongside the Oath’s Impact 

The final theme highlights survivors’ experiences of trying to move on following exploitation and their efforts to build a new life in the UK while living with the ongoing impact of oath-taking. 

Participants found reassurance from professionals who encouraged them to speak about their experiences. Having these experiences validated provided a lasting tool that participants could use to ground themselves whenever their fear of the oath increased. 

“Initially, it was difficult me talking about it, but I think, the more I talked about it, the more I became a bit free… But then, as time went on, I said to one or two people and they understood, after that, everything left my mind; it was no longer a burden to me. So, sometimes not speaking out can cause a lot of damage”. 

“Then the therapy kicks in that, ‘Look, you were only used. They only played with your emotions and your mind, thinking they wanted to help you,’ me not knowing that they actually wanted to exploit me, to use me to make money for themselves”.  

Implications for clinical practice  

Early and direct inquiry: Professionals should sensitively but directly ask about oath-taking early on. This can help build trust in the professional’s knowledge of oath-taking, potentially facilitating disclosure.  

Validation: Survivors emphasised the need for reassurance of safety and validation during early interactions with support agencies. Staff should avoid questioning the validity of the belief system itself but instead focus on condemning the traffickers’ exploitative use of the practice. 

Consistent, follow-up: Because the perceived power of the oath can fluctuate over time, organisations should provide consistent and reliable support with regular follow-ups.  

Holistic care: Trauma-focused therapies were perceived as helpful in alleviating PTSD symptoms for some participants. Therapeutic interventions to support reconnection with personal values and future hopes may also be beneficial. 

Peer narratives: Some survivors valued professionals sharing their experiences of working with other survivors who had experienced oath-taking and were now rebuilding their lives.    

Wider implications  

Scepticism or questioning regarding spiritual beliefs discourages disclosure. Training is essential for professionals likely to encounter survivors who have experienced oath-taking, including Home Office interviewers and police, to recognise oath-taking as a mechanism of control. Crucially, policy must acknowledge that reporting trafficking is often seen by survivors as a dangerous violation of the oath, creating a fundamental barrier to justice and help-seeking.   

Read the full study in the Journal of Human Trafficking.