Roadmap to Hell

by Barbie Latza Nadeau

From sex slaves to drug mules, The Daily Beast's Rome Bureau Chief uncovers a terrifying and intricate web of criminal activity right on Europe’s doorstep.

Caught between Camorra gunrunners selling to ISIS and Nigerian drug gangs along Italy’s picturesque coast, each year thousands of refugees and migrants are lured into their underworld, forced to become sex slaves, drug mules or weapon smugglers. In this powerful exposé, investigative journalist Barbie Latza Nadeau follows the weapons trail, meets the trafficked women trapped by black magic, the brave nuns who try to save them and the Italian police who turn a blind eye as the most urgent issues facing Europe play out in broad daylight.

Genres: True Crime, Nonfiction, Italy

240 pages, Hardcover

First published February 1, 2018

Reviews

[Sharon Velez Diodonet · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Africa begins in Rome. The type of poverty that permeates much of Africa exists in parts of the Italian south ad well." This was a well written, heartbreaking and eye opening expose about the years of corruption in Southern Italy. For years women from Nigeria have been trafficked in Southern Italy against their knowledge. Most of these are young teens who have been sold a dream of freedom and getting out of poverty. But the trafficking ring doesn't operate alone. You have ISIS, drug trafficking, African soldiers and Italian mobsters all interconnected and working alongside each other to perpetuate the reign of corruption. The author offers insight as to how the governments are aware but remain idle in taking action to counteract the corruption, terrorism and human trafficking. I was heart broken reading about the plight of these women who are the innocent victim but it is not an isolated example. Poverty is a worldwide crisis and human trafficking intersects with all types of corruption. The author does a great job of providing the history and discussing the underlying issues that make these situations pervasive. She offers resources and background and provides suggestions for action. If you are interested in making a difference, this is the book for you.

[Victoria Sadler · Rating 5 out of 5]

A phenomenal if sobering read. Roadmap to Hell: Sex, Drugs and Guns on the Mafia Coast by Barbie Latza Nadeau is an impressively researched but desperately depressing book that details how the refugee and migrant routes through North Africa and across the Mediterranean have been exploited by sex traffickers to kidnap tens of thousands of women from across Africa and bring them into sex slavery in Italy and across Europe. The book goes on to examine how the Nigerian gangs largely behind this have come to an uneasy understanding with the Italian mafia to continue this business to the profit of both, and how the endemic corruption and deeply entrenched misogyny and racism on Italy continues to enable this terrible criminal industry that is, literally, destroying black women.

The book is mightily impressive in its depth but also in its breadth too (despite being only 200 pages) in that Barbie also looks at how these modern slavery routes are now so well oiled that they are being used to bring in not just drugs and weapons to Europe, but also ISIS members and their sympathisers. I’ll never look at Italy in the same way again.

[Julie Berzins]

A well written & researched book on the sex trafficking of predominantly Nigerian women to Italy’s mafia coast and onwards throughout Europe. It gives great insight into how this trade can run so easily in Italy due to the many systematic failures at all points where these forgotten people could be intercepted. It highlights the issues of immigration through Africa and the boat smugglers into Europe, and how Italy fails to protect and assist those who land on their shores. Asylum seekers are left to rot in institutions built to assist them but have been exploited by criminals and the mafia. The government agencies are so corrupt they are complicit or simply turn a blind eye to avoid having to deal with the issue. Young naive Nigerian girls are tricked into believing they have a legitimate job lined up for them in Europe – a magical place they have only heard good stories from. A Juju bondage curse ceremony is performed by local witchdoctors to bind them to their madam promising to repay their travel debts – an imaginary figure that grows exponentially & will never be repaid. Once away from family, with fear and shame looming over them, the girls are forced into prostitution in squalid locations to anyone who will (or wont) pay them. Barbie tells of some women’s takes and the book shows the work of many who are legitimately trying to help. With the sex trade also comes drugs, violence and illegal gun trafficking which has far reaching tentacles supporting ISIS, terrorist groups, the mafia and anyone else willing to exploit the vulnerable.

[Gabor Hernadi · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting and important book about women trafficked from Africa to Italy as sex workers (basically slaves). Eye opening volume about fates hard to imagine in the 21. century in the middle of Europe.....

[Vaughan Hatton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thought it started a little slow but was truly a great read and couldn't put it down once I got into the second chapter. A very eye opening encounter into human and sex trafficking in and around Italy.

[Geoff Walling · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is very informative about the sex trade in Europe, which I really didn't know existed to this extent. It is not, however, very compelling.

[Pedro Tuccori · Rating 5 out of 5]

Better than Gomorrah. Great read.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of gang rape

[Agnes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rörande och väldigt allmänbildande.

[Laura De · Rating 5 out of 5]

Definitely worth reading, it has really helped me empathize with the "prostitutes" (sex trafficking victims) I see in my city, Barcelona. It's really upsetting to read but a lot of the people involved in helping the victims, including the author, have inspired me to read more and see what I can do to help in my city. I didn't know about the situation in Castel Volturno and the south of Italy in general. This book has really opened my eyes.

[Shelley · Rating 5 out of 5]

For someone who lives in Sicily, I found this book challenged many of my ideals. It made me question my stance on current immigration into Italy and who actually benefits but in a region so welcoming and shaped by immigration, it's a contradiction I'll never understand. It also opened my eyes to who the Mafia really are, not the small town guys we hear of.

[Patty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Research on the complex socio-economic conditions in Castel Volturno north of Naples. To help women who are victims of sex trafficking, consider supporting Sister Ruth's efforts to shelter and help set migrant women up as self-sufficient in Italy:
www.associazionerut.it
www.coop-newhope.it