A BRIT dad is battling to bring his stepdaughter to the UK after she was allegedly abused and forced into slave labour in the Philippines.
Simon Lee, from Lancashire, claims nine-year-old Elisha was subjected to horrific treatment by a relative and was days away from being sold for just £700.
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He said the Philippine National Police (PNP) managed to track her down and uncovered she had been locked away in a filthy apartment.
Simon, 52, told The Sun how his stepdaughter – who is now suffering from pneumonia after her ordeal – vanished after neighbours in the Philippines noticed she was being mistreated.
Elisha’s mum Havana – Simon’s wife – lives in the UK on a work visa and was sending money back for Elisha’s care as she was being looked after by a family member in the capital, Manila.
But Simon claims locals spotted Elisha was being used for slave labour and being forced to work long hours on a market stall.
He said: “We had a message from a concerned citizen within Pasay city market.
“It read that Elisha was being beaten and belittled and being forced to work from 7am to midnight, or sometimes 2am to 7pm each day.
“She was alone and being approached by men.
“She was also being starved as a punishment if she didn’t sell and made to walk barefoot alone through the streets of Manila.”
Heartbreaking photos shared with The Sun show the youngster stood alone at a stall trying to use an umbrella to shade from the sun.
Simon said he and his wife, 40, tried to speak to Elisha’s guardian at the end of February about the situation.
But he claimed all contact then stopped and the youngster wasn’t heard from for weeks.
“Her phone went dark, no communication and we were both blocked,” Simon added.
“In the last conversation [with her guardian] we were told that Elisha would be got rid of and that her passport would be destroyed and we would never see her again.
“The last sighting of our daughter was a photo taken within a market.
“For weeks we tried to communicate as the Philippines is known for child trafficking.
“We were in so much turmoil, not sleeping or eating.”
Simon said the few messages they received from Elisha’s guardian were threatening.
In an example seen by The Sun, the relative sent a photo of a knife.
In desperation, the couple went to the police in the UK – who Simon said almost turned them away.
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Simon added: “The response was this is a matter for the embassy.
“I pleaded she is just nine – then an officer stepped forward and said he would take the details.”
The PNP – the country’s point of contact for Interpol – then stepped in, and Elisha was finally tracked down in a vile apartment at the end of March.
Simon said: “The Manila police and Interpol flooded the area and Elisha was found malnourished and in an apartment that was not clean.
“The building was full of drug users and access to one communal toilet.
“The police treated it as a form of kidnapping and modern day slavery.”
Elisha was taken into the care of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and is being looked after by her mum’s cousin.
Simon and his wife are now fighting to get the youngster to the UK, where they can care for her properly.
They have set up a JustGiving page and a GoFundMe page in a bid to pay for their costly flights.
She desperately needs a normal childhood. She is in need of treatment because of the conditions she was kept in
Simon Lee
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“Elisha is a traumatised little girl who has been openly abused and used for monetary gain, held against her will with no communication to us,” Simon said.
“She has lost weight and has now fallen very ill with pneumonia.
“I’m in talks with my local MP to try and get us flown out there to bring Elisha back to safety in the UK to get the rehabilitation and counselling she so sorely needs.
“I understand she isn’t a UK citizen, but I am and the British government should have more concern for a young girl in somewhere like Manila that is dangerous in areas.”
Simon, who is also dad to two sons, said he and Havana have decorated Elisha’s room ready for when she can come to the UK.
He added: “She desperately needs a normal childhood.
“She is in need of treatment because of the conditions she was kept in. Please help us bring her home.
“We need help to bring her home. The Foreign Office has agreed to help, but we need help for flights.
“Our local MP has also offered his support, and counselling for when she arrives in the UK.
“We are thankful to everyone but just need the final push to bring her home.”
The Sun contacted Lancashire Police and the PNP for comments.
