An Argentine mom swapped her 11-year-old daughter for a freezer, police said.
Pabla Cesarina Monzon Aldana, 30, allegedly gave her child to a neighbor in exchange for the kitchen appliance and several other household items.
The youngster was then forced to work alongside other children in an illegal aluminum pan factory where her “owner,” also 30, subjected her to sexual abuse, police said.
The allegations came to light last Thursday after cops raided a clandestine workshop in the Bernal neighborhood of Buenos Aires.
Officers said they found five other youngsters, whose ages ranged from 14 to 17, being forced to work.
Cronica reports that the girl, named only by the initial “M,” had previously been living with relatives in Paraguay.
But Monzon Aldana brought her back to Argentina in October and put her to work so that she could help earn money for the family.
Her dad was reportedly sick, and she has three other siblings.
Cronica reports that the family’s financial strain led to the swap for the freezer.
The workers were freed, and officers arrested the couple running the factory on suspicion of labor and child labor exploitation.
The young girl is now in protective custody, and her mom’s partner was also detained. The man who allegedly “bought” the girl is currently on the run.
[NYDailyNews]