Churches Stayed Silent While We Were Forced Into Prostitution in Italy — Trafficking Survivor Izzy Ogbeide Speaks
Izzy Ogbeide, a survivor of human trafficking in Italy, has opened up about the painful reality she and many other young girls faced while being forced into prostitution.
According to her, many black-owned churches and pastors in the area knew what was happening but never stepped in to help.
“The only organization that ever reached out to us was the Red Cross. They only gave us condoms,” she said, pointing out the total absence of support from religious groups that many expected would protect them.
Ogbeide also revealed that trafficked girls were often discouraged from taking HIV tests. Many were left to deal with serious health risks alone.
She further described how pregnancies among the girls were often forcefully handled by traffickers, sometimes through drugs or dangerous procedures.
In her words, some church leaders even ignored the situation completely.
“Churches never rescued any girl. Many of them don’t even see it as human trafficking. Some pastors and their wives even collect money from the girls,” she said.
Her story sheds light on the harsh and often hidden realities faced by victims of trafficking, and raises serious questions about the silence of institutions that were expected to help.
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