The Human-Trafficking Victim Next Door

"Djena was barely ten years old when she flew alone from her home country of Guinea to Dallas, Texas, in January of 2000. On the plane, a flight attendant gave her cookies and a toy. After she landed, airline staff escorted her out to meet Mohamed Toure and Denise Cros-Toure, a Guinean couple, who, along with their children, were waiting for her. Mohamed explained that Djena was a family member from Guinea whom they were taking in. Djena believed him. Then the Toures drove her back to their house, in Southlake, a suburb near Dallas."

"Djena lived with the Toures for sixteen years. During this time, her belief that they considered her one of their own gradually eroded, like a riverbank worn down by steady currents. There were five other kids in the house: Mohamed and Denise's three sons and two daughters. They all went to school. Djena did not. She worked from morning to night, cleaning and cooking meals for the family even though she wasn't allowed to eat alongside them, except on special occasions."

"Denise and Mohamed bought new clothing for the other children, whereas Djena was given ratty hand-me-downs-even her bras were Denise's castoffs. Everyone else in the house had their own bed. Djena slept on a mattress on the floor. And then there were the beatings. When Djena neglected to do a chore, Denise would use a belt or a power cord to whip Djena, leaving her covered in bruises."

"Once, Denise yanked an earring out of Djena's left ear, tearing the lobe. As Djena got older, she made attempts to resist the beatings-sometimes grabbing the belt or the cord from Denise's hands-and so Denise enlisted Mohamed's help. He once pinned Djena down on the floor and sat on"

Djena arrived in Dallas at age ten in January 2000 after flying alone from Guinea. A Guinean couple met her at the airport and told her she was being taken in as family. She lived in their Southlake home for sixteen years, while other children in the house attended school and received normal clothing and sleeping arrangements. Djena worked from morning to night cleaning and cooking, was not allowed to eat with the family, and slept on a mattress on the floor. She was repeatedly beaten for failing chores, including being whipped with a belt or power cord and having an earring torn from her ear. As she resisted, the couple escalated to involving Mohamed to restrain her.

Read at The New Yorker