Lacy has a horrible secret. Of course, she doesn’t reveal the secret, even to herself, because, if she reveals it to herself, that would mean that it really happened. And it couldn’t have happened, could it?
Lacy cries, “Because it couldn’t have happened, you know? I mean, something like that could never, ever happen to a good family, a nice family with a daddy and all; now come on, you know it just couldn’t!”
Most of us have only recently become aware of the prevalence of child trafficking. Often, children who are trafficked are already at risk; they are runaways, foster children or abused children. They are often overlooked by child welfare systems, as this field is characterized by high staff turnover, which can lead to low staff morale and excessive workloads for those who remain on the job. The dysfunction within the system has traumatized and harmed children within the agency intended to care for them, leaving opportunities for those who exploit and traffic children for money, labor and sexual prostitution.
Based on data gathered by the U.S. State Department, Arizona is a prime transit and destination area for both sex and labor trafficking in the United States. The Department of Justice has identified Phoenix as one of the top human trafficking jurisdictions in the country. This story takes place in Arizona, USA.
Persons who traffic children choose the most vulnerable, because those children are likely to succumb to charms or demands out of poverty or desperation. The children may be runaways, street children, foster children or those in homes where parents fail to supervise due to addiction or mental illness.
Traffickers exert power over children with the threat of violence, witchcraft or occult phenomena. Abusive witchcraft is common in African countries, but there is evidence that an increasing number of children are trafficked to Western countries for ritualistic purposes.
At law enforcement training conferences, it is witchcraft, Santeria, paganism and the occult that are most often referred to as forms of Satanism. However, it does not matter whether you, as reader, believe ‘satanic panic’ to be genuine or imaginary; child traffickers control children through FEAR.
Fear of violence or beliefs in occult powers and curses may keep children trapped even if a way out is offered.
This is the story of a vulnerable family; a childhood stolen by abuse and terror – and ultimate triumph.
This story is a work of fiction.
Amazon.com Anne Lafferty