Coco Berthmann was an inspiration to all who heard her story.
Growing up in Germany, the 27-year-old was subjected to horrific abuse when she was sex trafficked by someone who was meant to love her most.
"I was trafficked for the first 15 years of my life by my own mother," she told The Skinny Confidential podcast.
"Whatever you’re born into, it’s your normal. For me, being born into trafficking, I didn’t know I was being abused…we were never allowed to talk about anything that happened behind closed doors."
She even bravely recalled the moment she escaped in 2009, sneaking downstairs to steal some money from her mother’s wallet before “I ran as fast as I could until I couldn’t feel my legs”.
After eventually moving to America, Berthmann became a passionate human rights advocate and spoke out in the hopes of preventing more children from suffering the same fate.
In an incredible tale of overcoming adversity, she got a law degree and became the founder of the Coco Berthmann Scholarship Fund, providing trafficking survivors with access to higher education.
Berthmann also gained a loyal following and regularly spoke at events including the Human Trafficking Policy and Education Summit.
"I think it’s so important to start building a safe environment for individuals to come forward so that they feel brave," Berthmann said at the Summit in 2021.
"I think we are at a point now where we have to address it and have to build the system of safety and security where people can feel brave enough to come forward and not be traumatised in the process."
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