Lured to Pakistan & Held Captive: Lara's Story
"I was ashamed of going all that way, to end up in this situation. I was mortified. Sajjad cancelled my flights, and once my passport lapsed, I was stuck in Pakistan... That's when the violence and sexual assault and starvation began... He locked all my clothes away, and I very rarely went out. At one stage, I didn't leave the house for 8 weeks." - Lara Hall
On the 22nd January this year, my phone pinged with a message request. Checking my Facebook, I found a message, from a woman in Canada, who had come across my profile, while searching for anti-trafficking organisations in Australia.
Reaching out, she asked if I would be willing to support a petition created by her friend Lara - a young Australian lawyer, who in 2018, had been held captive in Pakistan for many months, by a man who had spent half a decade learning all her vulnerabilities, her childhood traumas, and mental illness... and then using those vulnerabilities, to groom her into becoming his victim.
In 2018, after spending more than five years speaking via phone and video chat, Lara decided to take Sajjad up on his offer to attend his brother's wedding with him in Pakistan. It was meant to be a 30 day visit, and a chance to discover, if their friendship could be something more...
Instead, Lara discovered that everything Sajjad had promised her, was a lie.
Within weeks, her documents were taken, her flights cancelled, and it was at this point, that Sajjad's abuse turned from mental, to physical. Lara's clothing was taken from her, she was kept confined to the house, and during this time, she was beaten, starved, raped, and denied even the simplest of human rights.
It is an absolute miracle that Lara eventually escaped, let alone, make it home to Australia. But what is even more amazing, is the voice that this young woman has become for other grooming and trafficking victims, and the work she is now doing to ensure no other victim is ever left to fend for themselves, the way she was.
In this chat, we also talk about Lara's advice to other young women who may be planning to meet an online partner overseas, and how they can avoid becoming a victim like she did.
I'm so proud to bring you this chat, and I hope you find Lara's story as inspiring, as I do...
IMPORTANT AUTHOR NOTE FROM JAS: I support and commend Lara Hall for her bravery in sharing her story and advocating for change. However, due to serious allegations that have come to light since this interview, I am no longer able to support Wilson Chowdhury or BPCA.
South Africa