Aaliyah's story of sexual exploitation
At 14 years old, Aaliyah had a very poor relationship with her parents. Lacking love and affection at home, she started going out a lot and hanging around with older men. At first she thought they liked her for herself, but soon they cruelly betrayed her trust and started to abuse her. On one occasion a 'boyfriend' pulled her out of his car by her hair and threatened to cut off her legs with an axe, before driving her to a hotel room "to have his friends come over and do what they wanted to me", as she put it chillingly.
Barnardo’s was there for Aaliyah
It was one of Barnardo’s projects for sexually exploited children that helped Aaliyah to escape from that nightmare world. She is now in safe accommodation, out of reach of her tormentors, and as she says "Barnardo’s are my family and thanks to them I’ve turned my life around."
If we hadn’t been there for Aaliyah, who would? And yet your donation can make a lot of difference to a child like her.
A donation of just £15 can pay for a 'survival kit' of basic essentials - personal items such as shampoo, toothpaste and soap for an abused young girl who has fled her home with nothing.
Something so simple can make taking that first step on the long road to recovery so much easier.
Please help us continue giving the most vulnerable children across the UK the support they need.
Aaliyah is a real person, but we have changed her name to protect her privacy.
