Larisa Butnariu fights human trafficking from Iași, Romania

In a cluttered apartment filled with toys, Larisa Butnariu sits smoking a cigarette. The chaos of her living space is due to her upcoming move and the presence of children in need of a safe place to stay. At 27, Butnariu is dedicated to protecting vulnerable youth from human traffickers in Iași, Romania.

Butnariu’s past is marked by trauma; she was a victim of trafficking from the age of 15 until she was 23. Reflecting on her captivity, she recalls the suffering of other victims who did not escape. Human trafficking remains a lucrative crime, surpassed only by arms and drug trafficking. Butnariu describes the grim reality faced by victims, contrasting the protection offered by a pimp with the brutality of a trafficker, emphasizing how traffickers exert complete control over their victims.

After a troubled childhood, including abuse from her adoptive family, Butnariu was abducted by a trafficker when she was forced to leave home. In her new reality, she endured systematic violence and exploitation, at times servicing 37 clients in one day.

Romania is notably implicated in the European trafficking scene. Despite the staggering number of trafficking victims reported, convictions in Denmark have been rare. A recent case involved a Romanian man sentenced to 2.5 years for trafficking.

Butnariu’s journey through multiple traffickers highlights a grim cycle of exploitation. She remembers earning substantial amounts while receiving little more than a Happy Meal as payment. Now recognized as a trafficking victim by authorities, she advocates for change, emphasizing the urgent need for awareness among global leaders regarding the realities of human trafficking.