File on 4 Investigates - Isobel's Story

There are concerns that British victims of trafficking are less likely than foreign nationals to receive Home Office support to escape exploitation.
More and more British victims of organised sexual abuse are being referred to the National Referral Mechanism (NRM) – the government’s support pathway for victims of trafficking – following high profile sexual exploitation cases in Rochdale, Rotherham and Telford.
But charities are warning that British victims are less likely to be given access to safehouses, legal aid and counselling.
File on 4 hears the story of a young woman who has been raped hundreds of times since she was schoolgirl - and is still being abused despite going to the police and the Home Office for help. 'Isobel' says she has been consistently let down by the police and the Home Office who have failed to give her the support she needs to escape her abusers - causing her to be re-trafficked in recent weeks.
The Human Trafficking Foundation says victims like Isobel are being failed by the NRM and that it was designed for foreign victims of trafficking seeking asylum and has not adapted to cater for the growing number of British victims.

Producer: Hayley Mortimer
Reporter: Annabel Deas
Technical Producer: Craig Boardman
Editor: Carl Johnston

Published on Tuesday, 27th September 2022.

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