The shocking news of three women being held as slaves for 30 years in London this week has stunned people across the globe and made us question what we really know about our neighbours.
Last year Manchester was shocked by the case of a young Pakistani girl that was trafficked into the country and kept as a sex slave in Eccles.
The infamous case of Josef Fritzl in Austria, who kept his daughter in a basement for 24 years and fathered seven children with her, along with the Ariel Castro kidnappings in America where three women were held captive, are prime examples of where the friendly next-door neighbour may not be who we think they are.
MM took to the street to ask the public if they really know as much as they think they do about their neighbours.
Even worse, would you know if your neighbours were keeping a slave?
| Option | Results |
| Yes | 28% |
| No | 72% |
Tom Stewart, a 19-year-old student living in Fallowfield, said: “I leave in the morning and come back at night. I never have any contact with them apart from the waving hello sometimes.”
Salford resident and HR administrator Tony Jones, 29, said: “I do not know my neighbours at all because I live in a block of flats – they could be doing anything.”
A visitor to the city Sheila Burns, 66, a retired teacher from Glasgow, said: “I live near a lot of students and they change every year so I do not think I would know what they get up to.”
Those that live outside the city such as Margaret Hope, 59, from Buxton, said: “I live in a more rural area but I think none of my neighbours would but there are basements and buildings where something like that could happen.”
Jon Parks, 43, a civil servant from who lives in Rochdale, said: “I know all my neighbours and they would ever do anything like that.”
Lucy Mackay, 20, a student from Chorley, said: “Yes I think I would notice. We live in a small street so it would be very hard to not know.”
Hannah Barnes, 36, a stay-at-home mum who looks after her young daughter in Sale, said: “Definitely. Being at home a lot I would definitely hear something.”
Mark Heathcote, 50, a waiter from Northenden, said: “I hope I would notice but I work long hours. I am tired when I get back and just want to get in to be honest.”
Image courtesy of FarhanaAbir via Flickr, with thanks.
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