Just when you thought that slavery has ended hundreds of years ago, think again. Zunduri is living proof of slavery in modern times. She was five years a slave, enduring starvation, unimaginable physical abuse and exhaustion in Mexico City.
Zunduri, which means "beautiful girl" in Japanese was taken in by a family in Mexico City when she was a teenager. What initially was a haven for a 17-year-old homeless girl, who was left alone by her boyfriend, eventually became the girl's worst nightmare.
Captors Initially Good
CNN reported that at first, Zunduri was treated humanely. She even called the woman of the house as "mom." The family owned a dry cleaning business where Zunduri helped out.
As the days passed, the workload of Zunduri increased, while the amount of food she was given slowly decreased. She was tasked to iron clothes up to 20 hours a day.
Not satisfied with the physical exhaustion that Zunduri endured working 20 hours a day and sometimes starving for five days, the family that owns the dry cleaning service started physically abusing her. They would burn her hair with an iron or other parts of her body. If the burns would heal, they will peel the scabs so that she would heal again.
Chained
As if the physical pain was not enough, they stripped her of her dignity by tying a chain around her feet. The family would also chain her around the waist and neck to allow her to iron clothes sent for dry cleaning.
Aside from the physical abuse, Zunduri also endured verbal abuse. She was constantly told that she was worthless and that her family does not love her.
Just when Zunduri thought that all hope was lost, she finally got to escape the New Mexico family in April 2015 after the woman left the chains a little loose. Maria Teresa Paredes, a human rights attorney described Zunduri's appearance as horrifying as there was not a part of her body that was not covered with a scar or a wound.
Captors Behind Bars
According to Mexico News Daily, the captors of Zunduri, the Molina Ochoa family were put behind bars. She was also given a new life by the State of Mexico. Aside from the material things given to Zunduri, she also regained her self-esteem.
Now, Zunduri has her eyes set on becoming a baker. Although she feels a bit scared when she passes by the dry-cleaning shop where she was tormented for five years, she said that the fear disappears knowing that God is with them.
