New safe house opened for modern-day slavery victims in Sheffield by City Hearts charity

A new safe house has been opened for rescued victims of modern-day slavery in Sheffield as part of plans to support them as they recover.
Watch more of our videos on Shots! 
and live on Freeview channel 276
Visit Shots! now

The safe house, for five male survivors of slavery, has been set up by City Hearts, a charity that supports victims across the North.

Charlie Bentham, City Hearts’ South Yorkshire family and male accommodation coordinator, said: “We are so honoured to be able to have the provisions to support more survivors and help them on their road to recovery and freedom.”

Read More
“My life has changed completely” - how one modern slavery victim escaped his cap...
City Hearts staff Charlie Bentham and Kyle France (l-r) with the keys to the charity's new male safe house for survivors of modern-day slaveryCity Hearts staff Charlie Bentham and Kyle France (l-r) with the keys to the charity's new male safe house for survivors of modern-day slavery
City Hearts staff Charlie Bentham and Kyle France (l-r) with the keys to the charity's new male safe house for survivors of modern-day slavery
Hide Ad
Hide Ad

City Hearts supports people referred to a Government-funded system called the National Referral Mechanism and is currently supporting over 100 survivors, including children, across Sheffield and South Yorkshire.

The survivors in the safe houses are supported by specialist caseworkers as they recover from the abuse and trauma of modern slavery.

Victims are often tricked into coming to the UK with promises of a better life or job before being forced to work by expansive criminal networks.

The criminals behind modern slavery use violence and intimidation in order to control their victims and force them to work on farms, construction sites, brothels and car washes with zero pay.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Victims can also be made to partake in forced sexual labour, forced criminal activity and domestic servitude.

In Britain, victims are often young or vulnerable and are targeted by the gangs who run these networks in order to carry out crimes like theft, drug dealing or fraud.

City Hearts runs four other safe houses in South Yorkshire. Two female houses supporting 23 survivors, another male safe house supporting seven survivors, and a family safe house, which currently houses seven women, two men and three children.

A further 71 survivors are supported through the charity's outreach programmes in the area.

More than 12,000 people were referred to the NRM in 2021.