Brazil emerges as major destination for child sex slaves

Brasilia: Brazil is a destination and transit country for men, women, and children in forced labor and sex trafficking. According to latest data of the Brazilian geographical research, 62% of the population lives below poverty line, and prostitution has emerged as a major business here.A British journalist Matt Roper covered the story of child sex slave here and he was shocked to know girls as young as nine years are forced to sell themselves for just £8 (Rs 808) a time here.They are forced to do so in order to earn their livelihood, they are not available with any other option. Some have opted to sell their bodies with own their own and some are forced into it by their families in order to over come poverty.It is estimated that every year 200,000 men travel to poor countries in search of sex and Brazil is one of major sex tourist destinations.From slums and misery in Brazil, hundreds of children and teenagers leave each day in search of tourists. On the streets and in newspaper ads, most of the Brazilian women sold to tourists are 18 years old. To avoid police, who are now trying to prevent sexual exploitation of children, documents are falsified and the sex workers avoid the main streets.But a British journalist has brought to light how young girls here are forced into the hellhole of prostitution here. Matt Roper met an 11 year old girl Leliah at BR-116 motorway, Brazil at around 1.30am. Aftter meeting her, he was shocked to know that she was waiting there for a client,whom she can sell her body. A report published in Daily Mail says, Leliah told Matt Roper that she sells herself for 25 reals (Rs 1010) a time.After meeting Leliah, Roper decided to investigate about children like her, who are forced to be in this hellhole of sex slaves. He found out that Leliah was just one of thousands of girls – some as young as nine - sold for sex every ten miles along the BR-116. Many are prostituted by their own families. The cheapest fee for a transaction is £8 (Rs 808).He told Daily Mail ‘Every story I heard was more distressing than the last and the girls were all so vulnerable, completely alone and unprotected. It broke my heart.‘I later discovered a hushed-up Brazilian government report into the motorway, which had identified 262 places along the motorway where children were known to be sold for sex – that's one, on average, every ten miles.'