Iranian child victim of prostitution

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Sold into prostitution aged nine, condemned by an Iranian judge at hang at 18, Leila was saved by a group of human rights activists.

"I was nine yeats old when my mother started selling me. I did not understand what was happening."

Today Leila is a young woman of 22. For the past ywo years she has been cared forby aprivate home for destitute women in Tehran, Omid E Mehr, which means Hope.

"My mother would say:"Let's go out tobuy things, like chocolates".She would actually trick me. I was a tiny girl. She just took me to places."

Leila still finds it difficult to talk about the past. But we know that the "places" she speaks of are where she was sold for sex and raped.

Leila became the main source of income for a family of five.

The lawyer who eventually saved Leila's life, Shadi Sadr, is a controversial figure in Iran.

Although she was imprisoned earlier this year for taking part in human rights demostrations, she is widely respected and frequently quoted in the press.

A girl is considered one of the first commodities or properties that can be traded or sold in the eyes of a parent who is poor in Iran, Ms Sadr says Leila's story is not unique.

Ms Sadr says that, in practice in Iran, under the Islamic penal code a father has enormous power over his own children.

"If a father decides tokill his own child he will not be sentenced to death, he will only be sent to prison for a couple of years. "

Temporary wife

Leila lived in Arak, a small town four hours drive south of Tehran - notorious for criminal behaviour and illegal drugs. Most of leila's earnings went on illegal narcotics for her family.

According to the United Nations three quarters of the world's opium seizures take place in Iran and the authorities acknowledge addiction is a serious problem.

But there are no such statistics on prostitution. The Director of the Omid E Mehr centre in Tehran says it is

a growing problem.

"I have entered many homes in the south of Tehran where young girls had togo out and sell their bodies toprovide for their father's drug habirs," says Eshrat Ghilipour.

I am going to tell you something but please do not be upset. You are going to be hanged. Prison warder

leila's husband began selling her for sex toas many as 15 men each night. Two months into the marriage, police raided the house and arrested everyone.

The husband was sentenced to five years injailfor providing a house for illegal sex.

During the course of the criminal investigation, Leila's brothers had confessed to raping her. They were flogged. For this Leila was accused of incest.A crime punishable by death.

leila was in a women's prison when she herd about her own sentence from the warder:"I am going to tell you something but please do not be upset. You are going tobe hanged.

Ms Sadr says the judicial system is deeply consrvative and unfair.

"These male judges have not had any training about sexual charges. They all have a chauvinistic point of view and they see the woman as guilty," she says.

Leila's brothers, later, retracted their confessions. Ms Sadr took Leila's case to appeal and won !

This is dedicated with Love and Compassion to all women in the world under the terror of violence,  from sexual to daily abuse.

Stop the killing and the abuse, we demand that more than half of humanity is given the right to equality and protection they are entitled to.

Leni
provides a large variety of astrological services, workshops,
readings and is an accomplished lecturer and writer, in both English
and Italian. She has appear on television and radio, and is much in
demand for the both traditional and soul centered astrology.

Leni
Sibilio

http://.astrominds.com

leni@astrominds.com