At the age of 16, Cyntoia Brown was sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of a man. Having survived multiple rapes and assaults, Cyntoia was regularly sold for drug money by her then-boyfriend.
“People were born whores. The best thing for you to do is learn how to be a good whore” – a sentence Cyntoia often heard.
In 2004, Cyntoia met a man who began showing his gun collection. Cyntoia shot the man, stole his truck, wallet and gun. Cyntoia was adamant that she didn’t shoot him to rob him.
She was tried as an adult and spent 15 years in jail.
Whilst her case is unique and controversial, whether guilty or innocent, Cyntoia was described as a “teen prostitute” in court. It was whilst studying for her degree in prison that Cyntoia came across the term ‘sex trafficking’.
She thought: “Why am I only just finding out that there’s no such thing as a teen prostitute? Why are teenagers who are trafficked being told by society that they’re bad, they’re promiscuous?”
It took Cyntoia ten years to come to grips with the fact that she was a victim of trafficking. She is now using her experience to help girls who are in a similar position to her.