Teen killed herself after she was rescued from sex trafficking ring her heartbroken dad says – The Sun
A 15 -year-old girl killed herself after being rescued from a sex trafficking ring, her family have said.
Leticia 'Letty' Serrano died in her father's arms after locking herself in the bathroom of the family home in Houston, Texas on Saturday.
Dad Mariano Serrano believes his daughter couldn't get over being separated from the man who trafficked her when she was 13.
"She wanted to be with him," he told local station Fox26.
"But she also didn't want to hurt her family."
Letty was taken from near Marshall Middle School in Houston in 2017.
Her father spent days searching for her with her godmother, Cynthia Rivera, eventually finding her in an abandoned home.
Describing the house where Letty was found, Rivera said: "Mattresses, little girls bras, chemicals they use to drugs to mix with."
The unnamed man was arrested and taken into custody but was released after a few days.
Her family say Letty later ran away twice to be with him.
They believe he worked with at least three other man to move Letty around and drug her.
“We got her back damaged," Rivera said.
“She was a good student, good grades, quiet, kind of a loner, and her brother had just passed.
“She was a perfect target for them.”
YOU'RE NOT ALONE
EVERY 90 minutes in the UK a life is lost to suicide.
It doesn't discriminate, touching the lives of people in every corner of society – from the homeless and unemployed to builders and doctors, reality stars and footballers.
It's the biggest killer of people under the age of 35, more deadly than cancer and car crashes.
And men are three times more likely to take their own life than women.
Yet it's rarely spoken of, a taboo that threatens to continue its deadly rampage unless we all stop and take notice, now.
That is why The Sun launched the You're Not Alone campaign.
The aim is that by sharing practical advice, raising awareness and breaking down the barriers people face when talking about their mental health, we can all do our bit to help save lives.
Let's all vow to ask for help when we need it, and listen out for others… You're Not Alone.
If you, or anyone you know, needs help dealing with mental health problems, the following organisations provide support:
- CALM, www.thecalmzone.net, 0800 585 858
- Heads Together, www.headstogether.org.uk
- Mind, www.mind.org.uk, 0300 123 3393
- Papyrus, www.papyrus-uk.org, 0800 068 41 41
- Samaritans, www.samaritans.org, 116 123
Mariano and Cynthia blame the man for Letty's suicide, and say they want him to face justice.
"I want to see him in court," said Mariano.
"I want to tell him it's his fault my daughter is dead."
Rivera added: "The family deserves justice and peace of mind that her death is not in vain."
Commander Jim Dale of the Houston Police Department Vice Division said his force would now look again at Letty's original abduction.
“I have requested an interview with my investigators so we can reopen the case,” he said.
He also said he wanted to see staff in schools better trained to spot the signs of trafficking.
“She was a victim and somehow her cries fell through the cracks and I think that’s why it’s so imperative that we get the schools involved,” he said.
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