Deceived, Tortured and Traumatized by False Eyelashes
The young girl feels traumatized whenever she sees a grown woman with false eyelashes. When she meets a woman wearing false eyelashes, she chooses to avoid them. They remind her of bitter memories from her past.
WI (15), a victim of child trafficking from Indramayu, West Java, when met at her home, Wednesday (1/2/2023). WI was once forced to work as a worker in a cafe in the gold mining area, 99 Ndeotadi, Bogobaida District, Paniai, Papua.
She also chooses not to look at her mother when she would put on false eyelashes. The reason is, when she sees a woman with false eyelashes, she remembers the pimp, who threw her into the world of prostitution one and a half years ago. "Even though it's far [from home], [if I meet people with fake eyelashes I] rush home," said WI (15), when Kompas met her at her house in Indramayu, West Java, in February.
The pimp brought WI to the remote Paniai regency, Central Papua province (formerly Papua), in mid-2021. She was forced to work as a lady companion (LC) or song guide at a karaoke or a cafe close to a gold mining area.