THIS MORNING, THEY GIVE US A
RARE LOOK AT THEIR FRONT LINES.
>> EVERY DAY, WE HAD TO HAVE A
QUOTA, HOW MUCH MONEY WE HAVE TO
MAKE.
IF WE DON’T, WE’LL STAY OUT
THERE UNTIL WE GET IT.
>> Reporter: LESLIE KING KNOWS
THIS STRETCH OF GRAND RAPIDS,
MICHIGAN, WELL.
>> I USED TO STAND ON THIS
CORNER.
>> Reporter: SHE WORKED HERE
NEARLY 20 YEARS.
>> EVERY TIME I GOT INTO ONE OF
THEM CARS, IT WAS A 50/50 CHANCE
I WAS COMING BACK.
SOMETIMES I CAN’T BELIEVE IT’S
ME.
I TELL PEOPLE TO LOOK AT MY
EYES.
THERE’S NOTHING THERE.
THEY’RE EMPTY.
I’M SLOWLY SLIDING INTO
DARKNESS.
>> Reporter: A SLIDE THAT BEGAN
WHEN SHE WAS JUST A CHILD.
ABUSED BY A COUSIN, TRICKED INTO
PROSTITUTION BY AN OLDER MAN
WHEN SHE WAS ONLY 15.
>> TOLD ME IF I RUN, IF I TELL
THE POLICE, THEY WERE GOING TO
KILL MY MOTHER.
I TRIED TO COMMIT SUICIDE.
I DIDN’T KNOW ANY OTHER WAY OUT.
THERE WAS NO HOPE.
THERE WAS NO HOPE WHATSOEVER.
>> Reporter: HOW SHE MADE IT OUT
ALIVE IS NOTHING SHORT OF A
MIRACLE.
SOME MIGHT SAY ONE OF THE
CATHOLIC CHURCH’S BEST KEPT
SECRETS.
>> VERY INVISIBLE WORK.
>> Reporter: SINCE BEFORE THE
PANDEMIC, WE’VE BEEN ON A
JOURNEY IN GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN, TO THE SLUMS OF INDIA,
MICHIGAN, TO THE SLUMS OF INDIA,
ALL THE WAY TO THE VATICAN. LIFT
LIFTING A VEIL ON A LITTLE KNOWN
GROUP, TENS OF THOUSANDS OF
RELIGIOUS SISTERS IN 92
COUNTRIES WHO HAVE DEDICATED
THEMSELVES TO ENDING HUMAN
TRAFFICKING AND OTHER FORMS OF
MODERN DAY SLAVERY.
>> HUMAN TRAFFICKING IS BUYING
AND SELLING OF HUMAN BEINGS.
USUALLY WOMEN AND YOUNG GIRLS,
SOMETIMES CHILDREN.
>> LOOKS A BIT SEEDY.
>> Reporter: WE’RE THE FIRST
JOURNALISTS THE SISTERS HAVE
ALLOWED TO DOCUMENT THEIR WORK.
>> HUMAN TRAFFICKING IS
EVERYWHERE.
IF YOU LIVE IN SMALL TOWN IOWA,
THERE’S A HIGHWAY GOING THROUGH
TOWN, IT’S EVERYWHERE.
AIRPORTS, TRAIN DEPOTS, BUS
DEPOTS, TAKE YOUR PICK.
>> Reporter: THIS IS A MIGHTY
GRUBBY BUSINESS YOU AND THE
OTHER SISTERS ARE INVOLVED IN.
IT’S NOT SOMETHING THAT I THINK
YOU THINK RIGHT AWAY THAT NUNS
ARE GOING TO BE INVOLVED IN THE
FIGHT AGAINST SEX TRAFFICKING.
>> I THINK PEOPLE ARE SURPRISED.
IF YOU WANT PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND
THE URGENCY OF THE PROBLEM, YOU
CAN’T BE TIPTOEING AROUND IT.
>> Reporter: SISTER JEAN
CHRISTENSEN IN KANSAS CITY,
MORKS,
MISSOURI, HALF A SISS BEEN A SIS
MERCY.
>> SISTERS WRAPPED IN VELVET.
>> Reporter: 60,000 SISTERS
INVOLVED?
>> IT’S AMAZING.
YOU LOOK AT THEM, AND YOU KNOW
YOU ARE ONE WITH THEM.
>> Reporter: THEIR WORK TAKES
MANY FORMS.
A TRAIN STATION IN NORTHERN
INDIA JUST BEFORE THE PANDEMIC,
SISTER ROSE AND HER TEAM ARE
RACING TO HELP A YOUNG GIRL SHE
FEARS IS ABOUT TO FALL FOR AN
OLD TRICK.
>> THEY JUST FOLLOW SOMEBODY WHO
INVITES THEM WITH A PROMISE OF A
JOB.
IN THE PROCESS, THEY MAY BE SOLD
TO SOMEONE ELSE.
IF YOU GET INTO TROUBLE, THEY
JUST MET ON THE WAY.
>> Reporter: SISTER ROSE WARNS
THE MAN, BUT HE SCOFFS AT HER.
>> I’M A SIMPLE NUN, A SMALL
ONE.
I CAN DO VERY LITTLE.
NOT EVEN A DROP IN THE OCEAN.
>> Reporter: BUT HER EFFORTS AND
THOSE OF THE OTHER SISTERS ARE
BEING NOTICED AT THE HIGHEST
LEVELS OF THE VATICAN.
BEFORE THE PANDEMIC, WE WERE
INVITED TO JOIN HUNDREDS OF
SISTERS FOR A MEETING WITH POPE FRANCIS HIMSELF, WHO URGED THESE
FRANCIS HIMSELF, WHO URGED THESE
WOMEN TO KEEP FIGHTING.
[ SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE ]
>> Reporter: THE WORK CAN BE
DANGEROUS.
SISTER MARQUEZ TAKES US THROUGH
HER NEIGHBORHOOD’S OLD BROTHELS,
WHICH THE SISTERS HELPED
SHUTTER.
A FEW YEARS AGO, THIS WAS HOME
TO A BOOMING SEX TRADE.
>> WE WERE ASSAULTED BY A MAN
OVER THERE.
>> Reporter: SHE SHOWS US WHERE
A MAN THREW HER TO THE GROUND.
>> WERE YOU DRESSED LIKE THIS?
>> YEAH.
>> HE ASSAULTED YOU?
>> YES.
HE FOLD ME LIKE THIS.
>> Reporter: JUST THEN, SHE SEES
THE MAN AGAIN.
HE’S LISTENING FROM ONLY A FEW
FEET AWAY.
>> I DON’T GET FRIGHTENED.
>> Reporter: SHE WENT OVER TO
HIM.
>> HI, ALEX, HOW ARE YOU?
>> Reporter: ASKED HOW HE WAS,
AND WHETHER SHE’D SEE HIM IN
CHURCH ON SUNDAY.
>> AND I LOVE YOU, YOU’RE MY
BROTHER.
>> THAT IS A WOMAN OF FAITH.
FAITH AND COURAGE AND
FORGIVENESS.
TOUGH, REALLY, REALLY TOUGH.
>> OH, YEAH, THEY’RE VERY TOUGH.
>> Reporter: WHICH BRINGS US
BACK TO LESLIE KING.
20 YEARS AGO, SHE WAS RESCUED
FROM THESE STREETS BY A GROUP OF
SISTERS.
>> THEY WERE WILLING TO DIE FOR
SOMEBODY IF THEY HAD TO.
THEY WEREN’T AFRAID.
I MEAN, YOU GOT PIMPS FROM EVERY
CITY OUT THERE, AND THEY DIDN’T
CARE.
OKAY, HERE WE GO.
>> Reporter: SHE’S TRYING TO PAY
IT FORWARD.
BACK ON THESE SAME STREETS WITH
HER OWN ORGANIZATION, ASSISTING
OTHER WOMEN LOOKING FOR A WAY
OUT.
>> WHEN YOU GET TIRED, CALL ME.
>> OKAY.
>> SO I CAN COME GET YOU.
>> Reporter: INSPIRED BY THE
SISTERS WHO SAVED HER AND TENS
OF THOUSANDS OF OTHERS AROUND
THE WORLD.
>> THEY DIDN’T GIVE UP ON ME, NO
MATTER WHAT I DID.
THEY’RE VERY BRAVE BUNCH.
>> Reporter: LOCOMOTIVES WRAPPED
IN VELVET INDEED.
HUMAN TRAFFICKING IS, OF COURSE,
A VERY PROFITABLE BUSINESS.
THE ESTIMATES ARE UP TO $150
BILLION A YEAR.
MUCH OF THAT MONEY GOES TO
TERRORIST GROUPS, ARMED GROUPS,
AND ORGANIZED CRIME.
YOU KNOW, THE POPE, AS YOU SAW,
IS VERY ENTHUSIASTICALLY
SUPPORTING THE SISTERS’ EFFORTS.
HE HAS MADE HUMAN TRAFFICKING
AND MODERN DAY SLAVERY ONE OF
HIS TOP PRIORITIES.
YOU KNOW, WE CERTAINLY HOPE THIS
IS JUST THE BEGINNING OF OUR
JOURNEYS WITH THESE SISTERS.
THEY’VE INVITED US TO COUNTRIES
AROUND THE WORLD TO WITNESS
THEIR WORK, BOTH IN THE SEX
TRADE AND ALSO CHILDREN WHO ARE
FORCED INTO WORKING FREE AND IN
VARIOUS SWEATSHOPS AROUND THE
WORLD.
FINAL NOTE, SINCE IT IS FAITH
WEEK, MAYBE YOU WONDER WHAT THE
NAME, THE UMBRELLA ORGANIZATION,
MEANS.
WELL, IT IS FROM THE BOOK OF
MARK.
IN AR MAYKAMAIC, IT MEANS, "MAID
SAY UNTO YOU, ARISE."
>> WOW.
>> THE BRAVERY AND COURAGE,
WATCHING THAT NUN FACE THAT MAN
A SECOND TIME WAS JUST AMAZING.
TO BE FEARLESS WITH IT, WOW.