Topic: Sir Mo Farah reveals he was trafficked to the uk as a child

[TepidT2O]

An utterly horrific story…. 

I can’t believe this happened in this country in my time… the poor poor man.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-62123886

[CraigDS]

Woah. Never saw that coming and absolutely amazed, and happy for him, that it's never come out and he's been able to release it under his own terms when he's ready.

What a horrible thing to happen to any child.

[Samie]

Wow! 

[WhereAngelsPlay]

Will we be sending him to Rwanda whilst his application is processed ?

[Red-Soldier]

An utterly horrific story…. 

I can’t believe this happened in this country in my time… the poor poor man.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-62123886

Thousands of people living in the UK have been trafficked.  Many of which work in the construction industry, in agriculture, in the sex industry, and in places like nail bars, car washes, and cannabis farms (this includes children).

[killer-heels]

God, what an incredible story.

[Mumm-Ra]

God, what an incredible story.

Hollywood agents' phones buzzing as we speak

[Red Beret]

Will Patel or some other Tory now demand he's deported?

[west_london_red]

He always makes me very proud of coming from Hounslow

[12C]

Will Patel or some other Tory now demand he's deported?

According to their sick twisted ideologies he should be prosecuted for all sorts of fraud as he has been operating under a false identity -  passport fraud is one, as well as benefit fraud - and as he isn’t properly a citizen of the U.K. he should give back his medals and his knighthood, and be deported as an economic migrant.
Personally I wish the guy well, he has flourished despite his childhood horrors. But the contortions from Tories who will try the “his type are OK it’s the others we want to deport” will be sickening. I expect silence will be the Tory response.

[rob1966]

Will Patel or some other Tory now demand he's deported?

Wouldn't be surprised if that Nazi was contemplating it.

[classycarra]

I can’t believe this happened in this country in my time… the poor poor man.

Indeed, it is shocking and saddening to hear.

I want to pick up on what you've said here, but to be clear I'm curious more from a systems perspective rather than on an individual level - what i mean to say is, I hope this doesn't come across as a personal critique, because it's intended as a structural one.

I'm just a little bit surprised to hear that one of our resident senior teachers, who I know is a learned and considerate and curious person, is expressing disbelief that something like this could happen in our time. I would have hoped that safeguarding training etc would have exposed teachers to the signs to look out for for trafficked persons (especially kids), given that it's so common (and often in plain sight) here in the UK.

For anyone interested, there's quite a bit of data here. As you'd imagine, it requires lots of source inputs and also estimates. And we can be very sure it's an underestimate.
https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/crimeandjustice/bulletins/childvictimsofmodernslaveryintheuk/march2022

[Machae]

I would assume safeguarding awareness in early 90s would be deficient by todays standards

[Red-Soldier]

Indeed, it is shocking and saddening to hear.

I want to pick up on what you've said here, but to be clear I'm curious more from a systems perspective rather than on an individual level - what i mean to say is, I hope this doesn't come across as a personal critique, because it's intended as a structural one.

I'm just a little bit surprised to hear that one of our resident senior teachers, who I know is a learned and considerate and curious person, is expressing disbelief that something like this could happen in our time. I would have hoped that safeguarding training etc would have exposed teachers to the signs to look out for for trafficked persons (especially kids), given that it's so common (and often in plain sight) here in the UK.

For anyone interested, there's quite a bit of data here. As you'd imagine, it requires lots of source inputs and also estimates. And we can be very sure it's an underestimate.
https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/crimeandjustice/bulletins/childvictimsofmodernslaveryintheuk/march2022

This was the point I was getting at too.

I guess it's news as Farah is famous, but it's not very unusual or surprising.

[TepidT2O]

Indeed, it is shocking and saddening to hear.

I want to pick up on what you've said here, but to be clear I'm curious more from a systems perspective rather than on an individual level - what i mean to say is, I hope this doesn't come across as a personal critique, because it's intended as a structural one.

I'm just a little bit surprised to hear that one of our resident senior teachers, who I know is a learned and considerate and curious person, is expressing disbelief that something like this could happen in our time. I would have hoped that safeguarding training etc would have exposed teachers to the signs to look out for for trafficked persons (especially kids), given that it's so common (and often in plain sight) here in the UK.

For anyone interested, there's quite a bit of data here. As you'd imagine, it requires lots of source inputs and also estimates. And we can be very sure it's an underestimate.
https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/crimeandjustice/bulletins/childvictimsofmodernslaveryintheuk/march2022

It’s always a shock when you hear these stories isn’t it? I just worry more about how many have been trafficked without making it into the system somehow. I suppose it’s lots and lots especially for sexual exploitation.

We are trained to look out for lots of types of child exploitation however. But I have to say, I’ve never come across a case of a child being exploited as a slave. I suppose our training tends to lean towards being aware of pupils who go missing from school rather than how they might get there in the first place. ….but I never cease to be horrified by safeguarding cases, the degradations so many poor kids have to deal with. I never find it gets easier to accept or understand

[classycarra]

It’s always a shock when you hear these stories isn’t it? I just worry more about how many have been trafficked without making it into the system somehow. I suppose it’s lots and lots especially for sexual exploitation.

We are trained to look out for lots of types of child exploitation however. But I have to say, I’ve never come across a case of a child being exploited as a slave. I suppose our training tends to lean towards being aware of pupils who go missing from school rather than how they might get there in the first place. ….but I never cease to be horrified by safeguarding cases, the degradations so many poor kids have to deal with. I never find it gets easier to accept or understand

Yes absolutely, I think so sadly.

Thanks for sharing your reflection, and thinking about it I recall teacher friends from London having talked about training for kids going missing like you said. Appreciate you taking my comment in the spirit intended too. As Machae says, I suppose training has come on a lot in the decades since he was trafficked - although I think it could be a lot better. Althuogh that would require a government and home office that approaches these people more as humans than they currently do.

[TepidT2O]

Yes absolutely, I think so sadly.

Thanks for sharing your reflection, and thinking about it I recall teacher friends from London having talked about training for kids going missing like you said. Appreciate you taking my comment in the spirit intended too. As Machae says, I suppose training has come on a lot in the decades since he was trafficked - although I think it could be a lot better. Althuogh that would require a government and home office that approaches these people more as humans than they currently do.

Honestly, I’m not sure it will have got better. I suspect the issue will be overwhelmed social services to be honest.

[redbyrdz]

I'm a bit confused by the part of the story where he tells a teacher, and is moved to a foster family. Was there no police investigation? Why does he later apply for a passport with his false name, and not his real one? Maybe there is some weird administrative reason that he had school papers in that name or whatever, but I find it a bit odd.

[-Willo-]

I'm a bit confused by the part of the story where he tells a teacher, and is moved to a foster family. Was there no police investigation? Why does he later apply for a passport with his false name, and not his real one? Maybe there is some weird administrative reason that he had school papers in that name or whatever, but I find it a bit odd.

And the women who facilitated his trafficking 'refusing to speak to the BBC' - Ummm what about police?

Probably ran by a couple of billionaires so nothing will come of it.

[Iska]

I'm a bit confused by the part of the story where he tells a teacher, and is moved to a foster family. Was there no police investigation? Why does he later apply for a passport with his false name, and not his real one? Maybe there is some weird administrative reason that he had school papers in that name or whatever, but I find it a bit odd.

Yes that first bit jumped out at me too.  He was only about 12 so wouldn’t you expect there to be an attempt to reunite him with his real family?  That could’ve happened and it was impossible to trace them due to the state of Somalia at the time, but it wasn’t mentioned in the piece I read.

[redbyrdz]

Yes that first bit jumped out at me too.  He was only about 12 so wouldn’t you expect there to be an attempt to reunite him with his real family?  That could’ve happened and it was impossible to trace them due to the state of Somalia at the time, but it wasn’t mentioned in the piece I read.

True, maybe Somalia wasn't the place to go at that time. Also I think they can't deport a child on their own?  He might have also not had any contact details, he was forced to leave when he was 9.

And the teacher helped him get a passport in a wrong name...pretty sure that is also a crime...

Maybe he didn't tell anyone about the wrong identity, and just that he was being exploited by the family he was living with, that would make more sense to me.

[LovelyCushionedHeader]

True, maybe Somalia wasn't the place to go at that time. Also I think they can't deport a child on their own?  He might have also not had any contact details, he was forced to leave when he was 9.

And the teacher helped him get a passport in a wrong name...pretty sure that is also a crime...

Maybe he didn't tell anyone about the wrong identity, and just that he was being exploited by the family he was living with, that would make more sense to me.

He says his first "family" ripped up the contact details when he arrived.

[west_london_red]

Also worth remembering that Somaliland is not Somalia. Somaliland is a lot more peaceful then Somalia and has a functioning government etc.

Just a guess on my part, but if they tracked his mother down and realised they were from Somaliland rather then Somalia, they might have said it’s safe enough to go back or it might not have been so easy for his family to join him because it wasn’t as bad as Somalia? Not sure, but I suppose the main point is to remember they are not the same place.

[redbyrdz]

Also worth remembering that Somaliland is not Somalia. Somaliland is a lot more peaceful then Somalia and has a functioning government etc.

Just a guess on my part, but if they tracked his mother down and realised they were from Somaliland rather then Somalia, they might have said it’s safe enough to go back or it might not have been so easy for his family to join him because it wasn’t as bad as Somalia? Not sure, but I suppose the main point is to remember they are not the same place.

Only since about 1991? It sounds like Farah was trafficked in 1992, it might not have felt safe then.

[west_london_red]

Only since about 1991? It sounds like Farah was trafficked in 1992, it might not have felt safe then.

I don’t know all the details, I used to work in a shop many years ago with a lot of Somali customers and struck a bit of a friendship with one of the regulars and he explained the situation to me but this was about 2004, and I saw a feature on the subject on the BBC a couple of years ago.

[SouthDerryLaggo]

A Lot of the details in this story don't add up. His whole family appear to have the name Farah including the ones who remained in Somalia....why did they take his fake name? there are also people who remember being in Primary school age 9 which is the original story Farah has told until now. There was also a story a few years ago where his brothers talk about their da who lives in Manchester
https://www.irishmirror.ie/showbiz/celebrity-news/mo-farahs-brothers-rift-olympic-5750492.amp

[west_london_red]

Farah is a very common Somali name (90% seemed to have the name Farah, Abdi or Haji based on my experience), and obviously different cultures have different naming conventions so I wouldn’t get too hung up on the name part. The fathers story is pretty perplexing though.

[SouthDerryLaggo]

Farah is a very common Somali name (90% seemed to have the name Farah, Abdi or Haji based on my experience), and obviously different cultures have different naming conventions so I wouldn’t get too hung up on the name part. The fathers story is pretty perplexing though.

But Mo said his name was Hussein Abdi Kahin initially. He changed it to Farah when he came to Britain apparently. It would make sense for his surname to have always been Farah if it is a common name over there.
edit: Found this.https://twitter.com/MoDoorbell/status/1546871155851665409?s=20&t=upQHsMQri6OoJ-xvj8V0Rg

[LovelyCushionedHeader]

Think he needs to be given the benefit of the doubt at this stage. If you've lived a lie for 30 years then there are going to be things that don't stack up. There will also be plenty of people closer to what's happened that will be much better placed to call bullshit if that is in fact the case, and so far I don't think there has been any of that.

[SouthDerryLaggo]

Think he needs to be given the benefit of the doubt at this stage. If you've lived a lie for 30 years then there are going to be things that don't stack up. There will also be plenty of people closer to what's happened that will be much better placed to call bullshit if that is in fact the case, and so far I don't think there has been any of that.

I guess I’m just weary as he has lied about a lot during his running career regarding his coaches and doping in general. Just feels like this is odd

[redbyrdz]

A Lot of the details in this story don't add up. His whole family appear to have the name Farah including the ones who remained in Somalia....why did they take his fake name? there are also people who remember being in Primary school age 9 which is the original story Farah has told until now. There was also a story a few years ago where his brothers talk about their da who lives in Manchester
https://www.irishmirror.ie/showbiz/celebrity-news/mo-farahs-brothers-rift-olympic-5750492.amp

Obviously I have no idea, but just wondering if maybe this father is the father of the family he was brought to in the UK? And the "brothers" the kids he looked after?

[rob1966]

Obviously I have no idea, but just wondering if maybe this father is the father of the family he was brought to in the UK? And the "brothers" the kids he looked after?

Seems to be exactly that.

Father Muktar Farah, who brought him to the UK and helped to kickstart his career, was also missing from the roaring crowd at the Olympic Stadium

Speaking exclusively to the Sunday Mirror, the brothers – who have a different mother –

[SouthDerryLaggo]

We shall see better tonight in the documentary what the craic is.

[LovelyCushionedHeader]

We shall see better tonight in the documentary what the craic is.

It's available on the iPlayer now apparently

[TepidT2O]

How awful…

And for those suggesting this was a fabrication? Utterly damning. 

[Rob Dylan]

The one thing I can't figure out was why that woman brought him back from Somalia instead of her actual son. Unless he didn't want to go or there was some reason why he couldn't, but maybe she still needed someone to come and do chores ando look after the younger kids, so she just found someone she could pretend was her son. It's just really weird that even that child's aunt didn't know why he wasn't brought over.

And then there was that other kid with the same name who was briefly at the same school he went to, the year before he came over.

[classycarra]

The one thing I can't figure out was why that woman brought him back from Somalia instead of her actual son. Unless he didn't want to go or there was some reason why he couldn't, but maybe she still needed someone to come and do chores ando look after the younger kids, so she just found someone she could pretend was her son. It's just really weird that even that child's aunt didn't know why he wasn't brought over.

And then there was that other kid with the same name who was briefly at the same school he went to, the year before he came over.

I realise it's probably not helpful to speculate having not seen any of the documentary or read about it, but just hypothetically perhaps that young boy (whose identity was assumed) died during the conflict and so another child was sent in his place?

[TepidT2O]

I realise it's probably not helpful to speculate having not seen any of the documentary or read about it, but just hypothetically perhaps that young boy (whose identity was assumed) died during the conflict and so another child was sent in his place?

No, the boy is alive.  Mo spoke to him.

[Gerry Attrick]

Unfortunately it’s probably way more common in sports and general life than any of us can even comprehend. There was a story recently of a Stuttgart forward formerly known as Silas Wamangituka Fundu who was playing under a false name. His real name is Silas Katompa Mvumba, but Stuttgart believe his agent changed it to make him more reliant on him. Also a year older than previously stated too.