PTT

 MUSIC - VICKI

AMOS (1C / 25.44): 

What's it like walking into a brothel and, and asking someone if they've got a child you can have sex with?

TONY:

I was extremely uncomfortable when I first started doing this.

WHAT KIND OF PEOPLE PRETEND TO BE A PAEDOPHILE?

TONY (8H / 27:46):

We're looking for girls a bit younger than this, getting fussy in me old age

MARLYN:

Did anyone listen to your pleas? No, no one.

WHAT KIND OF PEOPLE TAUNT VICTIMS OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING?

MARLYN:

Your own mum pimping you to her boss. (9.56)

GIRL CURSING - KICKING

MARLYN:

I fully understand what they have gone through in this life.

THE KIND OF PEOPLE WHO WANT TO RESCUE PROSTITUTED CHILDREN

TONY INTERVIEW (1C / 9.45):

I'm not one that I can just sit back and know that there's this problem and then do nothing about it.

HOW TO CATCH A PIMP

By Amos Roberts and Agnes Teek

TITLES

MAP – Philippines - Manila

(1) GETTING READY TO GOING UNDERCOVER WITH TONY KIRWAN

1

MUSIC – WIRING UP

2

DAMIEN PUTS BUTTON CAM ON TONY:

Because the girls are short, we’ll put it down in this one so we can get sort of the head height

3

MUSIC

4

TONY AS BUTTON ATTACHED (1D / 3.22):

We’re just putting on a hidden button camera so we can do some filming tonight as we go out looking for kids. And nobody will be able to tell what we’re doing.

5

TONY KIRWAN

destiny rescue

TONY INTERVIEW (1C / 9.36):

I'm just a sparky, I've got no specific skills in this other than I guess a heart of a dad.

6

AMOS (3.49):

It’s all very secret agent, isn’t it?

TONY: Hahaha. A little bit

DAMIEN ADJUSTING SHIRT: That’s not too bad.

7

I’ve come to the Philippines to find out what a former electrician from Queensland is doing working undercover in brothels.

8

DAMIEN (1D / 7.07):

We’ll pin this one up into here somewhere.

9

Sixteen years ago, Tony Kirwan founded Destiny Rescue, a Christian charity based in Thailand, that helps kids trafficked into prostitution.

It’s funded by donations, and most of the staff are volunteers.

10

TONY (1D / 9.12):

At any given time pretty much most nights of the week we'd have a couple of dozen agents around the world in six different countries, kitting themselves up, ready to go out into the brothels to get this sort of stuff on film, and get some people arrested and more children rescued.

11

AMOS (1D / 11.30):

So I should put on one of these hidden cameras too?

TONY: Sounds good, buddy.

12

MUSIC – mild suspense / sparse

13

In a few days’ time, Destiny Rescue will be working with local police on the biggest raid it’s ever undertaken.

14

AMOS (1D / 15.43):

Wow.  You’d have no idea that was a different button.

15

The under-resourced local police are grateful for any help – even from a motley crew of Australians with no background in law enforcement.

16

TONY INTERVIEW (3C / 42):

The compound that we’ll be raiding is owned by a retired politician and he's very well connected.

(40.00) There's going to be somewhere between 150 and 250 children and women there and we're expecting that there could be anywhere between 40, 75 of those are going to be children.

(2) LOOKING FOR MINORS UNDERCOVER

17

MUSIC – HIDDEN CAMERA

20

Tonight, Tony’s offered to show me how they work the bars, and gather the evidence to give to local police…

…so they can put the pimps in prison.

21

AMOS (2H / 8.39):

So when you come into a place like this, with a guy like me. What's the cover story? Who are we? What are we doing here?

TONY:

We’re just developers.  So we build units, or whatever.

22

For several nights, I immerse myself in a world of sleaze and exploitation.

23

MAMASAN (3H / 56.40):

Let me call lady for you

AMOS – I’m shy.

MAMASAN – Ah OK, I’m gonna introduce you to somebody who is not shy.

AMOS – Maybe later.  Maybe later.

24

I’ve rarely been as uncomfortable as I am hanging out with men who pretend to be paedophiles. 

25

DAMIEN (2H / 48.57):

Where’s all the young ladies?

(49.01) I know you’re young, I know you’re young, but my friend likes them really young.

26

But if it’s tough for me to get into character, it was once even tougher for Tony, a devout Christian whose parents didn’t even drink alcohol.

27

TONY:

I felt awkward even walking into a brothel, like I felt like should I even be in here, like this feels wrong.  But at the same time knowing that if I don't go in then the kids that are in there are never going to have a chance of getting out.

28

TONY (8H / 27:46):

We're looking for girls a bit younger than this, getting fussy in me old age

29

TONY KIRWAN

destiny rescue

AMOS (1C / 00.48):

So how did a tradie from Queensland end up in this line of work?

TONY INTERVIEW(1C / 00.54):

It was a really simple situation.  I actually overheard two guys talking and one guy was saying how there was a American guy going through Bangkok and he was offered that he could buy children outright for 400 US dollars and do whatever he wanted to with them.

30

TONY ON STAIRS IN BROTHEL (8H / 53.33):

We’re looking for…

MAMASAN: What?

TONY: …younger girls.

MAMASAN ON STAIRS (8H / 53.56):

We have sir, but we cannot talk… here.

31

TONY INTERVIEW (1C / 1.16):

I'd never heard of people selling people in today's time. And so yeah. That's what sparked it.

32

TONY COMING DOWN STAIRS (8H / 54.51):

How many young girls?

MAMASAN:

Maybe 6 or 7

[Find out what it’s like to go undercover as a paedophile

sbs.com.au/news/Dateline]

MUSIC

33

Prostitution is illegal in the Philippines and sex workers under the age of 18 are automatically considered trafficking victims…

34

DAMIEN TALKING TO TINY GIRL (2H / 1.20.03):

You have ID? Can I see your ID first? Yeah

-       This is my age

-       This is real?

35

…and their pimp can be jailed for life. 

36

TONY INTERVIEW (1C / 7.11):

In the last seven years we've rescued over two and a half thousand kids and young adults. And we are having over an 80% success rate in not returning to the sex trade. Which is pretty cool.

MUSIC ENDS

37

MAMASAN (3H / 1.50.02): This one here.

TIM: Oh they’re beautiful, yeah

DAMIEN (2H / 1.31.44):

Oh she looks young. She looks cute.

38

UNICEF believes there are up to 100,000 children in the Philippines involved in prostitution.

Their traffickers don’t require shackles - poverty, family pressure and fear are usually enough. 

39

[Do you think sex trafficking is a problem in Australia as well? #DatelineSBS]

GIRL SINGING (8H / 43.35)

40

TONY INTERVIEW (1C / 23.02):

As a Westerner coming into a brothel you could easily think these girls have big happy faces, they are smiling, they are enjoying themselves, they want to be here but that's just not the reality. They feel like they have no other choices.

(3) VISITING SHELTER

41

UPSOT KIDS PLAYING SPORT OUTSIDE

42

Hopefully any children they may rescue in the upcoming raid, will end up in a place like this.

43

UPSOT KIDS PLAYING SPORT

44

MARLYN INTERVIEW (7C / 1.20.43):

We have 49 clients as of today.  The youngest age is 7 years old until 18 years old.

My name is Marlyn Capio-Richter. I am the centre manager, paralegal officer of PREDA Foundation,

45

NATOST PLAYING GROUP GAME INSIDE

46

The PREDA Foundation is a separate charity that rescues and rehabilitates victims of sexual abuse and trafficking.

59

KID SHOUTING (6C / 45.41):

Let’s tag Ma’am Marlyn!

48

You can’t fail to notice the deep connection Marlyn has with the girls.

This work is personal for her.

49

MARLYN INTERVIEW (7C / 1.41.05):

I was been victim of sexual abuse when I was a child, by my stepfather.  And at that time my mom did not believe on me.

50

MUSIC – “Marlyn’s Story”

51

When Marlyn was 13 years old, she ran away from home.

Living on the street, vulnerable to exploitation, she was sold into prostitution.

52

MARLYN CAPIO-RICHTER

preda foundation

MARLYN INTERVIEW (7C / 1.48.05):

I become submissive. And I said that nothing lose, because I am already sexually abused by my stepfather.

(1.48.37) If this is the will of God, then let it be. So I work as a prostituted child and I follow the order of my boss in order for me to survive.

53

Kids in play room

MUSIC

54

Marlyn was rescued by PREDA after three years and lived in this shelter.

She thrived here, and at university - but she’s still trying to make up for her lost childhood.

55

MARLYN INTERVIEW (7C / 1.49.10):

I have no good memory of my childhood.

(1.49.59) Before I have no toys, I have nothing.

(1.50.19) That's why when I get my first salary, my first salary I buy all toys. Dolls, toys!

56

MUSIC

57

MARLYN INTERVIEW (7C / 1.50.37):

That’s what I wish for every child.

58

MARLYN PLAYING TAG WITH GIRLS

60

MARLYN INTERVIEW (7C / 1.49.18):

I would say that I never experienced to play. 

(1.49.39) That’s why in the centre I always give time for our children to play. 

61

KIDS LAUGHING WITH MARLYN

62

MARLYN (7C / 1.52.47):

I took the social work as a profession because I have the eagerness to help people, children who are victim of human trafficking and victim of sexual abuse because I fully understand what they have gone through in this life.

63

MUSIC – “Dhorvy’s story”

64

Marlyn wants me to meet one of the girls she’s been helping – a 15-year-old we’ll call “Jasmine”.

It’s unusual to identify children who are victims of sexual abuse, but PREDA believes that speaking out is both beneficial and safe."

Jasmine was a rebellious child, who joined a street gang when she was only 14.

65

MUSIC / UPSOT READING KIDS BOOK

66

TAGALOG SUBREEL

JASMINE (8C / 1.22.17):

I knew that our gang leader was selling the other girls, but I didn’t experience it myself at the start so I trusted him. The first time he sold me, with another girl, we couldn’t do anything at all because he was a big man and we were scared of him, even his voice was full of authority...

MUSIC – becomes more sad / frightened here

67

One day her pimp accepted money from an undercover agent.

68

TAGALOG SUBREEL

JASMINE INTERVIEW (8C / 1.26.22):

The other kids and I were being sold off for about three months before we were rescued (by the NBI). (1.26.34)

(1.25.22) I’m happy now because /// our abuser is behind bars. (1.25.31)

69

[Find out why children are trafficked:

facebook.com/DatelineSBS]

MUSIC – same track becomes more hopeful now

70

This is just the kind of outcome Destiny Rescue is hoping for with the big raid it’s planned.

71

MUSIC – PREPARING FOR RAID

72

But things don’t always go so smoothly.

(4) INTRO POLICE – PREPARING FOR RAID       

73

MUSIC

74

The anti-trafficking in persons division of the Philippines National Police occupies just one small room – and today it’s a hive of activity.

They’re putting the final touches to a joint operation with Destiny Rescue that’s been months in the planning.

75

MUSIC

76

With help from police special forces, they’re mounting a raid on some brothels several hours drive from Manila.

77

TONY KIRWAN

destiny rescue

TONY (4C / 5.17):

We are expecting there will be at least 50 underage girls there tonight and each of them being forced to have sex with customers multiple times every night and goodness knows how many days, weeks, months this has been their life.

78

Money counting

MUSIC

79

POLICE OFF-CAMERA (4C / 50.20):

That’s the marked money.

80

Operation Phantom, as it’s known, isn’t just the result of a tip-off from Destiny Rescue – it’s being bankrolled by the Australians.

81

VILLAMOR TULIAO

philippines national police

CHIEF TULIAO (9C / 5.29):

Philippines is a third world country and we lack of all resources and we have just to patch up all what we have.

(18.22): It’s frustrating because we have to sometimes rely on such NGOs like the Destiny Rescue.

82

MUSIC

83

TONY INTERVIEW OUTSIDE (4C / 1.07.35):

We've been working on this case for many, many months so I would hate to try and guess the number of man hours that have gone into building this operation.

84

TAGALOG SUB REEL

CHIEF TULIAO BEFORE BRIEFING STARTS:

We need to make sure that the money is received first before we move. (1.20.53)

85

MUSIC

86

A lot can go wrong.

Tony’s worried about the potential for failure after attempting a raid at the same location with a different law enforcement agency last year.

END MUSIC HERE

87

TONY INTERVIEW OUTSIDE (4C / 1.08.24):

They were tipped off that we were coming and the night of raid there were no girls, no kids to be found.

(1.09.10) I was messed up. just thinking about if one of my kids were one of those kids and knowing that we're not getting them out that night was, it definitely messed with me and messed with the team in a big way.

88

MUSIC

89

I wasn’t allowed to film the briefing before we head out, but when I catch up with Tony afterwards, he’s feeling hopeful.

90

TONY OUTSIDE BRIEFING ROOM (4C / 1.24.30):

I'm still crapping myself a bit because it's going to be pretty intense but I feel a lot more comfortable knowing that these guys are real professionals. They are sharp, they know what they're doing, they are highly trained, so really expecting a positive outcome tonight.

(5) THE RAID

91

MUSIC – THE RAID

92

Police used a drone to get a bird’s eye view of our destination tonight – a cluster of bars with bedrooms out the back, well off the main road.

93

MUSIC

94

There are undercover agents inside the compound already – once they hand over money for the girls, the raid will begin.

95

CHIEF TULIAO:

Go, go, go!

96

SUBREEL 2

UPSOT HIDDEN CAMERA 9H / 24.55:

Everyone face down on the floor!  Everyone on the floor!  On the floor!

In the first stage of the raid, special forces storm the compound.

I arrive with the rest of the police and Destiny Rescue in the second wave a few minutes later.

99

TAGALOG SUB REEL

SPECIAL FORCES (33.18):

I said all of you sit down!

[Police in the Philippines have been accused of shocking human rights abuses… Can they be trusted to crack down on human trafficking? #DatelineSBS]

MUSIC

100

Pretty quickly, everything’s under control.

101

TAGALOG SUB REEL

OFFICER 1(5C / 36.55):

Did you search for guns?

OFFICER 2 – We didn’t find any, Sir.  Only cell phones. (36.40)

102

But the number of sex workers here – and how many minors are among them – is unclear.

103

OFFICER:

You, how old are you? You?

WOMAN:

24.

104

TAGALOG SUB REEL

OFFICER (5C / 42.04):

You shouldn’t have run.

BLUE SHORTS: We just got scared, Sir. (42.10)

105

The men – pimps and customers – are being searched and questioned.

Husbands are worrying about how they’ll explain this to their wives.

106

TAGALOG SUB REEL

MUD GUY (46.51):

We are both married, it’s embarrassing if… We were not doing anything… We were just singing using the videoke. (47.03)

107

Tony joins in the search of the rooms, in case anyone is hiding.

108

MUSIC

109

Everywhere there are sordid traces of the lives that played out here until just moments ago.

in countries like the Philippines and Thailand, there’s understandably a lot of focus on sex tourism – but most of the demand comes from locals.

This place was frequented by farmers and tricycle drivers, who paid as little as $12 for sex.

110

AMOS (37.41):

Hey.

TONY:

G’day..

111

There aren’t as many women here as we’d expected, but Tony seems upbeat.

112

AMOS (5C / 38.58):

You look relieved.

TONY:

I am. I am very relieved. This has been on the go for many months now, it failed once with a different department so we were really hanging out that tonight would be a real thing and we can rescue all these kids and get the people who have done the wrong thing in jail. Hopefully never get out. That's the goal.

113

SUSPECTS SHOWING ID / BEING SEARCHED

114

It’s already after midnight, and the women are being taken back to police headquarters to be processed and assisted by social workers…

115

WOMEN LOADED ONTO BUSES (5C / 1.10.33):

I’m going back to Manila!

Whoo! We’re going to Manila. (1.10.37)

116

MUSIC

117

WINONA CLAPPING HANDS:

Please listen to me.

Do you know what human trafficking is?

- Yes.

WINONA: What does it mean?

– A lot of cars.

WINONA: It’s like selling a person in exchange for money. 

118

MUSIC

119

SUB REEL 2

SOCIAL WORKER (5C / 55.31):

How old are you?

- Going 21. (55.33)

120

AMOS:

How many minors would you hope to rescue to sort of make all the resources and the time that you put into it, worthwhile?

TONY IN HOTEL ROOM (6C / 4.47):

It's a victory regardless of the numbers but I'm really hoping for it to be a lot of children.

121

MUSIC

122

It takes several days to confirm their ages.

In the end, police identified 67 trafficking victims – but none of them were minors.

Four pimps were arrested and charged.

123

VILLAMOR TULIAO

philippines national police

CHIEF TULIAO (9C / 30.06):

In human trafficking, humans are goods and

(30.49) Even saving one soul in this kind of operation is satisfying already.

TONY PACKING UP

Police were later told someone had visited the compound on the morning of the raid, and whisked away several dozen young girls. 

It seems there had been another leak.

TONY INTERVIEW (1C / 36.04):

It is devastating when you know that this kid, they're going to be raped tonight, tomorrow night, weeks ahead. It's…, yeah.

(6) WHAT HAPPENS AFTER THEY’RE TRAFFICKED?

125

NATSOT KIDS (7C / 00.23)

126

For those lucky enough to be rescued, rehabilitation brings new challenges.

127

NATSOT KIDS

128

To find out what rehabilitation looks like, I turned back to social worker Marlyn Capio-Richter.

129

MUSIC ENDS

130

She invited me to see a primal therapy session.

It’s a shocking window onto what they’ve suffered.

131

MARLYN ADDRESSES GIRLS (7C / 5.17):

Think about the time when you were younger, playing happily with no problems. (5.49)

(7.08) But the day came in our life, although we didn’t like it, when there was a catastrophe.

132

GIRLS CRYING

133

To help the girls move on from their trauma, Marlyn encourages them to express all the negative emotions they’ve been bottling up.

134

MARLYN (7C / 9.22):

Go on. Release everything, your anger.

135

Some of these girls were first abused, and then trafficked, by their own parents.

136

MARLYN CONTINUED:

Did anyone listen to your pleas? No, no one. If there was, you wouldn’t be here at PREDA. Your own mum pimping you to her employer. (9.56)

137

GIRL CURSING ABUSER (7C / 13.53)

138

TAGALOG SUB REEL

MARLYN ADDRESSING KIDS (7C / 14.09):

Go on. Curse them, keep on cursing them. . So that you can feel at peace and start healing.

Inhale.  Exhale.

139

NATSOT KIDS LEAVING BUILDING

140

The girls spend up to a year here, before they’re carefully resettled, if not with their immediate family, then at least with trusted relatives.

141

SUBREEL 2

LIFE SKILLS TEACHER:

This is the last unit for Life Skills, and after this comes the “Employability”.

142

Rehabilitation doesn’t always work – some trafficking victims will return to prostitution. 

But they get an education here that hopefully leads to a safer and more rewarding livelihood.

143

SUBREEL 2

LIFE SKILLS TEACHER:

The first topic is “The path of life looking ahead”. What does this mean?

JASMINE:

Every step you take, whatever things you do may it be good or bad is for your own future.

144

MUSIC – DHORVY’S FUTURE – hopeful, happy

145

“JASMINE”

trafficking victim

JASMINE (8C / 1.45.49):

I want to finish high school and graduate college and  (1.46.17) I want to be a successful doctor some day. (1.26.39) I want to create a medicine for Ebola.

AMOS: You want to create a vaccine for Ebola?

Yes.

That is a pretty ambitious goal. 

146

If you’d like to donate to Destiny Rescue or the Preda Foundation, visit sbs.com.au/news/Dateline

MARIEL DANCING (7C / 52.53 & 58.38)

147

Those on the frontline of this struggle, like Marlyn and Tony, know the odds are stacked against them.

148

TONY KIRWAN

destiny rescue

TONY INTERVIEW 1C / 7.47):

There's figures thrown around of about 1.2 million new children every year are lured into the sex trade. Specifically the sex trade.

(8:07) It's not impossible to win the fight but it's going to require a lot of us to get into the fight.

149

DANCE ENDS

150

MARLYN INTERVIEW (7C / 2.11.18):

If any individual do a little to help it become bigger and bigger. For example, I will stop. Who will do?

END TITLE

Since the raid we filmed in March, Destiny Rescue has freed 52 trafficked children in the Philippines.