Free to move, bound to injustice: Sexual exploitation, sex work and law from Latvia to Europe

Abstract

This article engages with the seventh chapter of Ben Judah’s book, which tells the story of Nora, a girl from the Latvian city of Liepāja. Nora has been awarded a scholarship to study in Italy, but cannot afford the related costs, such as travel expenses. Seeing no other solution, Nora accepts the job offer of a scam company and eventually prostitutes herself online, quickly realising that she can earn enough to pay for her trip and also help her family. Judah’s chapter ends with Nora having collected enough money to finally move to Italy. The article first addresses how we understand Nora’s story and why we frame it in light of violence, abuse and a holistic perspective of gendered oppression and sex work. It then analyses the role that law plays (or does not play) in the context of her lived experience and everyday struggles. Zooming out of the legal framework, it tackles more systematic and structural issues underlying Nora’s trajectory. Finally, the article offers some methodological reflections on the meaning and implications of our legal engagement with the everyday.