By: Katherine Lily Mae Harris
One of the hardest things to do as a #survivor of #rape and trafficking, as you age, is to stay vigilant about who you let around you.
While I attempted to move forward with my life and forgive everyone, believing it would be ok in the end. I also tried my hardest to forget everything that happened.
It was so hard to experience various kinds of #ptsd triggers, but I could not have called them that, or been able to articulate what that even was, at the time.
When government goes undercover, they have connections. They have protection, records of their #life. They can speak out and up and be safe. They have a way to get out. When the people involved in the trades doing the trafficking, whether drug or human, they have each other to constantly protect their families.
So how do we, as victims turned #survivors, survive!?
We don’t have a team to check in to. We don’t have people. If we did, we would have been safe to begin with.
If I hadn’t ended up in this last abusive relationship, that has left me #crippled and led to me being in more danger, intentionally. If he hadn’t crippled me, I would have actually had a chance at normal life.
The people who tormented me when I was younger, wanted me gone. For good.
My #truth disrupts their lies and also points a finger to where human trafficking takes place. I’m a survivor so I know what they do. I can call it out!
The reason I was trying to advocate for everyone, was my dangerous level of human empathy I feel for all.
It’s so dangerous to me, because people take advantage of it all the time.
I foolishly believed that People who harmed me when I was young, would tell the truth to who they lied to. I foolishly believed that everyone, regardless of trade, government, drugs, or other, would be honorable for the benefit of everyone’s families and our communities; for the benefit of Port relationships.
To make a better #World.
Instead, they took that time to gang up on me and place me in more danger.
No matter how much I posted to social media and begged for people to care. No matter how much I pointed out the #SYSTEMS failure and put the focus there, and not on individuals….I kept being tormented.
When I gave away over half my belongings and was bringing attention & about to be #trafficked again, it became funny to the most privileged around me.
#Humantrafficking is the 3rd most profitable business in the World.
I don’t find that funny.
I knew what would happen and I didn’t know if I would survive it.
I had no income, no one to help.
#Lucky for me, I had myself, my perfect credit score (at the time) and available credit on my credit cards. Last minute I was given a small sum of money that helped me rent a car, locally, to let me save the remainder of my belongings; placed in a storage unit. (The one that got broken into, while I was in Peru, South America, so they could steal my identification documents and other items.)
Then I left on foot.
The nights on the sidewalk were not great. I survived. I had been homeless before, but not the way it happened this time and not because of being crippled, but because after I survived abuse, I was #isolated. This time, as an adult and crippled I was VERY TRIGGERED!!!
The drugs that people put in your food or drinks to rape and traffick you, to groom you. To torment you; this spine injury my ex gave me, mimics that! It is terrifying to not be able to #run! Terrifying! The drugs they give you when they rape you, they cause for you to not be able to move or speak or #scream. When speaking out about everything, having the general community block me, or isolate me, has been really damaging.
I was isolated then as a teenager, after I survived, Just like now.
I knew I needed to get to a more public space. A double edged sword for these dangers. (That’s a metaphor, though the swords stolen from my storage unit are still missing) Once at PWM September of 2023(the airport) I could try to rest a little, but also, I am crippled. My body is vastly different than it was before #spine hit. A common tactic used by traffickers. My dominant arm, collarbone, spine & rib injured. Even years into my #healing my body is still vastly different. How can I adjust with no way to do so?
How can I speak up about healing, if I’m not safe. I’m not safe until I have my own income. As of right now, some here, still think this is a joke or a game.
At the airport I made videos hoping that if I was disappeared, there would Atleast be a trace of them. I spoke about how individuals are targeted and used as scapegoats or successfully disappeared after being isolated. Traffickers noticed how isolated I was all those years. The illusions didn’t fool them.
While at the airport, I packed and unpacked my bags in view of #cameras, so they would hopefully know I wasn’t a threat, because I was there 2 days before my flight left.
#Airport personnel can interact with you. Hopefully remembering something about you if you end up missing. I wore a wrap that could easily be identified.
I went through all the normal motions.
I narrowly avoided being kicked out of a larger airport, that is a major airport for human trafficking.
Where I ended up in Vancouver, I made videos about the areas of risk and concern.
Human Trafficking is a horrible industry.
it damages and divides #communities, #families, #countries and causes #danger in all ports that interact with them. So educate yourselves!
I then, almost got kicked out of the next large airport I was in for 2 days, because of a layover. Another of the 3, top human trafficking airports in the #USA.
As I boarded the plane, I hoped for the best. I hoped that I would survive and find community.That it would be ok.
Credit cards.
I got my first one at 30. I am incredibly responsible and great with money:
They can save your life. And they saved mine.
I could put my rent and groceries on my credit card in another country.
Here, I would have been #homeless and trafficked in an instant.
Luckily airports also have a trace of interactions, which can lead to video surveillance of where you are. It’s a level of safety that can help. Even if it is after you are taken.
Human traffickers are embedded in places they can traffick. It’s alarming and true.
Again, the way they threaten is to control entire communities. Tentacles in.
This, is why it was so important to #unite. No matter what their trade. Because ending human trafficking needs to be a #priority. Changing societal conditioning, needs to be a priority.
What kind of world allows for this industry to become so out of control?!
My speaking up really upset the people who contributed to this, or put me through it.
They had already ruined my reputation. I thought that I had a community of people that I interacted with for the 22 years I was in the service industry. As I was in more and more danger, gossip kept me in greater danger. All by design and intentionally done by people involved.
When I made it back home, I knew I needed to show my face in an official building, aside from the airport. So I went into the #police station to use a phone. (I didn’t have ANY phone cellular through this, only with WiFi. Keep that in mind.)
When I came back home from Peru, Lima, South America in February of 2024, I had seen an add in a police station for a #telecommunications position. I made it a priority to go.
I wore, to the pre test for a possible interview, the same wrap I wore flying out of the country.
My favorite one from #mexicaliblues. They would then have my name & identification information on file.
Police can be a complicated topic because of corruption. Because of triangulation.
However, there is a major noticeable change when they start to pay attention.
When I was a teenager being trafficked by people who are more #protected and popular here, than I; when police started to pull us over or be involved a little, it slightly changed things. For a little while anyways.
Then there was like this phase 2 of it. A little older, still underage and a teen, still not protected, still isolated.
That gang rape that happened to me, was really traumatizing. Especially because I hadn’t even began to handle the other rape and abuse that had happened to me already.
Once I felt like I was part of a community, that helped a little.
I had a great job at a popular restaurant, & was a bartender it was common for police working at night to stop in and check on things. I didn’t mind, because I know what happens in the World. Because it has happened to me.
Again, it depends on the police. Some really don’t have a clue about these issues and how they are, in appearance, hidden. That’s why I sent many stations info from the Exodus road. An anti human trafficking organization.
Again, it’s a group of individuals that can do what AI can’t.
As their most recent add says.
It’s true. It is easy to erase surveillance and people that work in human trafficking are everywhere. In every job. It is the truth. I personally, do not trust a World that has allowed for human trafficking to be the third most profitable business. That’s horrible. I don’t trust communities that cover it up, making it seem like a game, instead of actually acknowledging it. Learning about it and then work together. For everyone.
Alarming right now is the divide between humanity. It’s gaping and it’s dangerous.
Everyone deserves their basic needs met.
Everyone.
Those who think otherwise, I guarantee they wouldn’t accept what they cause for others, for themselves. I know because many would rather continue using me as a scapegoat, instead of be honorable. They literally don’t care what they caused my life and others. They KNOWINGLY have done this.
THAT is the hardest part about it all. Realizing they knew exactly what they were doing, they just don’t care because it’s not happening to them or who they care about.
So credit cards.
They can save your life.
Then put you in enormous debt.
If people and systems I had paid into, had been honorable, I would have been able to redesign a life.
It doesn’t change the fact that human traffickers had their eyes on my bank accounts. My identification info. My activity. They Managed to fool people while I was away. They Were ready to disappear me.
So I keep speaking up.
Until I have a halal income and am somewhere that people will unite against this, instead of feel bad for those who do it, I won’t be safe.
It’s not a game or a joke.
When organizations that handle this topic are around, the corruption teams up together and sends out a whole new level of threats.
Why couldn’t everyone be honorable together?
Because they Do NOT care about anyone, except themselves.
This now is going to cause generations more to suffer the SAME harm and hardship that has been going on far too long.
So what do you do if you are in this situation? Isolated and in the middle? Corrupt government and their family, dealers and traffickers, all placing you in the middle….I tried to mediate it, to make it safer for everyone, even their families. They tried to disappear me.
To the people who were honorable, thank you.
To the rest of you, shame on you.
My #goals and #dreams have been cut short. They have been altered in a way that is irreversible.
Thankfully I met enough people in the World when I studied, so they couldn’t disappear me, as they wanted.
Unfortunately, here where I lived all my life, never changed. They believed the liars and caused for this to get worse.
Thank you to those that helped.
This touches on another issue as well. I wanted to write more about it in another blog.
When communities become like the bullies from School, it’s an issue. When I yelled for people to tell the truth, it was because this is bigger than any of us.
The 3rd most profitable business in the World. Human trafficking!!! Slavery!
While so many of you sleep well at night in your ignorance or involvement, this includes far too many people for it to not be a normal topic of conversation.
Our World is getting less safe because of All of this.
Stay educated and vigilant.
Interactions in grocery stores, airports, police stations, basic community interactions….because it may save a life.
Comment in slightly off ways to posts. I watched a video on YouTube and posted my location because he was an infj, like I am, and it was obscure enough, I hoped if I went missing and he saw my picture, he would remember me, and that random comment.
Be careful who you #trust.
If you think someone is safe and want to invite them into your life, make sure they aren’t affiliated with ANYONE who has harmed you, or put you through this, because the chances are, they already knew about it too.
Human trafficking is the Third most profitable business in the World!!!
Let’s talk about real ways to change this now!
I won’t stay silent!