Everyday in Cambodia (Photo : Facebook/CNN)
Girls as young as 12 years old are being sold by their own mothers to men who seek for paid sex with young girls in Cambodia.
A notorious child sex trafficking hub in Phnom Penh called Svay Pak is where people find young girls meant for sex trade. Mira Sorvino, Oscar-winning actress and UNODC Goodwill Ambassador against Human Trafficking, was part of the Freedom Project that went to Cambodia. There is where Sorvino met Kieu, a victim of child trafficking and sex trade two years ago, CNN reported.
Kieu disclosed that when she was only 12 years old, her mother told her to accept a job. She was sent to a doctor who gave her a "certificate of virginity." She was delivered to a hotel when a man used her for two days.
The young girl told her story of how she was sold by her mother to a Khmer man around 50 years of age at the time. She explained that she was not aware what the job was and what to expect if it will be good or bad for her. She finally found out how bad it was for her after the incident.
The young girl was rescued by Agape International Missions (AIM), a non-profit for trafficked and at risk children and teenagers. Her story was documented by Sorvino in her Cambodia journal called "Every Day in Cambodia: A CNN Freedom Project Documentary."
"Many Asian men, especially those over 50, believe sex with virgins gives them magical powers to stay young and ward off illness," explained Chhiv Kek Pung, President of Cambodia's leading human rights organization, Licadho, according to The Guardian.
Cambodia is not the only country where women and girls are treated as a commodity. However, in this country, virgins are very much in demand. It is a big business to many.
