The more we hear about the plight of some of the most vulnerable young people in Brazil the more we despair, but a new investigation has revealed the shocking truth about children as young as ten forced to sell themselves for sex.
A* Sunday People* investigation has revealed how many children are living in squalor, high on crack cocaine and glue are being forced to sell themselves for sex in order to capitalize on the thousands of football fans heading to the World Cup.
The investigation found that thousands of desperate children are being touted for sex for as little as £1.30 with pimps forcing them to wear clothes and makeup to look older. The report found many of the children were taking drugs and sniffing glue to deal with hunger and a 14 year-old prostitute was murdered and her body dumped in the street last month by a man who refused to pay for sex.
As part of the investigation, the Sunday People spoke to Lorrisa, a 13 year-old girl who’s tiny body’s growth had been stunted by drug use. She sad:
‘Sniffing the glue makes me feel dizzy and numb and it stops me feeling hungry so I don’t need to eat.
"’It helps me cope with the violence and danger on the streets.’
Lorrisa’s friend Raphaela, 13, when on to describe her life on the describing how she get approached by dozens of men on the street looking for sex, who will pay her 10 Brazilian real, the equivalent fo £2.60.
She described a horrifying story about her friend Mickela, 14:
‘Mickela lived on the street and she was murdered on the day of a police strike.
‘A man picked her up by the Metro train station and she had sex with him.
‘But afterwards he refused to pay, killed her and dumped her body. It only happened a few weeks ago.’
Another young girl described how she regularly only gets paid the equivalent of £1.30 for sex. It’s just too grim for words.
The charity Happy Child, which was set up to help children who get pregnant by selling themselves for sex, has launched a warning campaign for World Cup fans which includes wristbands for the children.
Chief Executive Sarah de Carvalho MBE said: ‘We are worried about the influx of fans. We know with major sporting events that vulnerable children are at risk of being sexually exploited. Our It’s A Penalty campaign has been set up to raise awareness among football fans that if they engage in sexual exploitation with a child aged 17 or under they could face prosecution in Brazil and their home country.’
This investigation acts as a depressing reminder of the dark side of football tourism and the very real pain of the young girls and boys whose bodies are being sold for sex to capitalise on the World Cup. With stories like this circulating, it’s no wonder people have been protesting outside the football stadium, accusing the country of needlessly spending millions on the sporting event whilst ignoring the plight of millions of destitute Brazilians in their own country.
Follow Sophie on Twitter @sophiecullinane
This article originally appeared on The Debrief.