Sarah escaped a cult. She found herself in a living hell

When Sarah escaped a religious cult at age 21, she thought she had found freedom. Then, she landed in a bad relationship and tens of thousands of dollars in debt. When presented with a business opportunity, she thought it was a way to rebuild her life and leave her past behind.

Instead, she found herself trapped in a situation of sexual servitude, working around Australia and overseas. She escaped in 2020, but it took her months to come to terms with the fact she was a victim of modern slavery.

Sarah escaped sex trafficking in 2020. She didn’t know she was a victim of modern slavery until she tried to flee.Credit: Kate Geraghty

Sarah was one of 41,000 people in Australia living in modern slavery, according to the Global Slavery Index published by the Australian human rights group Walk Free.

Sarah said being forced into sexual servitude didn’t happen like a “bolt out of the blue”. She experienced coercive control within a religious cult, which moved her family from Germany to South Africa and then to Australia.

Then, a bad relationship saw her life unravel. Leaving that relationship left her isolated and in debt. She quit her job as a nurse and began working as an exotic dancer.

A friend at the club introduced Sarah to a man she said could help her manage her own businesses as a sex worker, and rebuild her life among a community of women.

‘If you can build a prison in somebody’s mind and make them think that they can’t leave, then you don’t even have to lock them up.’

Sarah, survivor of modern slavery

She believed this “charismatic, dynamic” and “disarming” person would help her, and she moved to Sydney from South Australia for the opportunity.

But soon, he became demanding and controlling, inserting himself into her personal life, demanding updates on her whereabouts, pressuring her to spend time with her in a personal capacity, and influencing when and how she worked.

“The sort of people who do these kinds of things, they have a plan, and they have a way of figuring out your vulnerabilities … to use against you,” she said.

Sarah is now fighting to challenge the perceptions of modern slavery.Credit: Kate Geraghty

Sarah worked for the business locally, interstate and overseas, and was pressured to provide services she did not consent to. She said she and the other women were increasingly isolated and monitored, while some faced threats and abuse.

When Sarah tried to leave, she was told she would have to pay $25,000 to cover the cost of her no longer working for the business and to “buy out” control of her profile, including intimate images.

She contacted a lawyer about getting out of the debt, which is when she first heard the terms “sexual servitude”, “debt bondage”, and “modern slavery”.

“They seemed like very extreme words and I thought, ‘That couldn’t possibly happen to me’,” she said.

She began secretly researching slavery and speaking to the other women about their experiences.

“If you can build a prison in somebody’s mind and make them think that they can’t leave, then you don’t even have to lock them up,” she said.

But getting out wasn’t easy, as Sarah struggled to find organisations that helped modern slavery victims within Australia.

“The services I contacted didn’t seem to understand my situation … I didn’t fit the picture of what they thought I should,” she said.

‘People end up disappearing’

Sarah is now the lived experience advisor to the Office of Anti-slavery Commissioner and the advocacy group Survivor Connections. She’s fighting to change the perceptions of modern slavery, for more cohesive support services, and to increase awareness among frontline workers about the signs of exploitation.

She said the lack of knowledge about modern slavery was a huge barrier.

“It means people end up not getting anywhere and basically disappearing. People who don’t receive help face risks of re-exploitation and re-victimisation,” she said.

UN Special Rapporteur Tomoya Obokata said there were concerns about the low rates of prosecutions and convictions of contemporary forms of slavery in Australia.

As the UN concludes its in-country assessment on contemporary slavery in Australia, he called for the government to do more to detect and prosecute the crime.

“Underreporting by victims is a major factor. They are naturally afraid to come forward due to the fear of reprisals by perpetrators or law enforcement actions,” Obokata said in Canberra on Wednesday.

He raised specific concerns about temporary migrant workers trapped in a “power imbalance” with employers, people with disabilities working in specialised employment workshops, and asylum seekers forced to work illegally.

NSW Anti-slavery Commissioner James Cockayne said the issue deserved “immediate action”.

“This is a wake-up call to governments at all levels in Australia,” he said.

In 2022–23, the Australian Federal Police received 340 reports of modern slavery, the highest number on record. For each recorded victim-survivor of modern slavery in Australia, there are estimated to be four undetected victim-survivors.

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