Blessing was trafficked from Nigeria to the UK where she was held captive at a home in London. She spoke out as Theresa May hosted an anti-slavery conference
A mother forced to have sex with up to nine men a day after being trafficked to Britain has revealed the horror of modern day slavery - as the Home Secretary promised to tackle the problem.
As many as 13,000 potential victims of slavery are believed to be living in Britain, giving rise to the unprecedented meeting with 33 different countries pulling together to tackle the issue.
The woman, known only as Blessing, told Sky News how she paid a woman £4,000 to travel from Nigeria to the UK on the promise of a job in nursing.
She made the journey to Tilbury Docks in Essex by boat with ten other women before being taken to a house in Ealing that would be her prison for five years.
There Blessing was pimped out by a women known as Mama G who would discuss the women’s physical attributes with clients.
She said: “When our customers came, I would hear Mama G start describing us: the sizes of our breasts, the size of our private parts, how tall we are.
"She would then call your room number and say you have customer ... "
There was no escape because the house was guarded day and night by men who threatened anyone trying to leave.
But Blessing, who was beaten and burned with an iron on her legs and chest, eventually saw her chance when she spotted an open door.
That day, seven women fled the house barefoot and got on the underground leaving Ealing for good.
Blessing said: “We just thought, if we are going to die, let us die.”
She is now being cared for in a safe house run by charity The Medialle Trust.
She said: "I came into this country to come and look for a better life. I'm a well brought up woman from a good home. I'm married. I've got my children. I never thought 'I'm going to do prostitution'. It's shameful for me."
Blessing spoke out as Theresa May hosted the Santa Marta anti-slavery conference in London.
Mrs May said: “Few of us can truly know what it is like to become a victim of modern slavery.
"We can only imagine the lives of the men, women, and children who are forced into a horrendous existence of abuse: people who have been sold with the connivance of their families; women who have been tricked by those they trust, forced into prostitution and who suffer continuous assaults and rapes; young girls passed from abuser to abuser; men who have travelled long distances believing they are heading for legitimate jobs, only to find they have been duped.
"Life for those victims must be utterly traumatic.”
Mrs May, who is currently pushing her Modern Slavery Bill through Parliament, has suggested giving courts in England and Wales new powers to protect people who are trafficked into Britain.
She said: “When that bill becomes law, it will ensure that tough penalties are in place, including life imprisonment.”
