Episode 12 Inside Out

Tonight we are in the beautiful surroundings of Brimham Rocks

in North Yorkshire.

Welcome to Inside Out.

I'm Paul Hudson.

We speak to the women who claim that their employers right

here in Yorkshire have treated them like domestic slaves.

We are trapped in this system.

You know, that tolerates abuse, that tolerate slavery.

We take an exclusive look inside a

controversial military college which takes recruits

from the age of 16.

I'm definitely sticking it out. It's the job for me.

And, later in the programme, the music students

performing with an '80s pop icon.

It's really inspiring.

It's going to be a great show, I think.

First, the hidden story of the

foreign domestic workers who are exploited, beaten,

and abused, right here in Yorkshire, many come to the

UK as maids or nannies to raise money for

families back home but, as I've been finding out,

what appears to be a dream job can turn

into a living nightmare.

This is a story that's taken me by surprise.

I knew that foreign people were employed as domestic

helpers, mainly in the rich suburbs of London.

What I hadn't quite appreciated was how many foreign workers

are in this part of the world and why, for some of them,

abuse has become part of the job.

Both man, he raped me, the side of the other.

She's threatening me.

She says she has connections to the police and wherever

I go, they will find me.

It's a place where even if you shout for help, no-one can hear you.

Cecilia is from the Philippines and is a former domestic worker

who now lives in Barnsley.

But her life as a maid to one rich family left her devastated.

My employer, he raped me and I am screaming but he held me, my mouth,

to no screaming because the wife sleep there in the bedroom.

And then, following day, the son again, he did

the same things.

And I can't tell. I can't do anything.

The memories are still vivid even though the attack took

place in the Middle East more than 20 years ago.

I tell to the son, maybe it's you.

The baby I carried.

And he do like that.

My stomach, because I am pregnant, to take out my baby.

He said it's my fault.

Cecilia's troubles didn't end there ? she was brought to the UK

by another family and says she spent much of her time

locked in the house.

When the moment came, she took action.

I opened the window.

My employer.

And I jumped.

I didn't know, it's a little bit higher.

I'm thinking, lower, the window.

A little bit higher.

I'm never looking, straight into the main road in London.

I said, this is my freedom here in England.

I go to find a new life.

It is absolutely heartbreaking to hear the repeated ordeal that

Cecilia has had to face in her life, and shocking that this is happening

in this day and age.

Unfortunately, Cecilia's story isn't an isolated one.

We've spoken to another domestic worker who's asked us

to protect her identity.

She says she's had jobs in Yorkshire where her wages have been withheld

and she's been bullied.

I was bathing the children and they were shouting.

Then my employer came from her room and shouted "You haven't disciplined

the children" and she said, "leave my premises right now."

When she said that, I went to my room to pack my things

and she threw a stool at me and it was lucky

that it didn't hit me.

Alice says, as well as physical violence there were threats, too.

I said it is better that I leave and she said "No,

you cannot leave because you need the work and you cannot change

employer because I have connections in immigration."

I was afraid at anytime she could send me back to the Philippines.

Alice eventually found work elsewhere and she's told us

she now much happier.

Rules around the employment of foreign workers have changed

quite a bit in the last few years.

In 2012, the Home Office brought in new regulations that effectively

tied a worker to the same employer.

But it meant if relationships went sour it was often very

difficult for workers to leave and find a new job.

In April this year the visa regulations were tweaked again,

giving workers the right to switch employers.

But with visas lasting six months or less, domestic helpers often have

some hard choices ? leave and try and find a new job in the remaining

time, or stay and suffer abuse to earn the cash they need

to send back home.

They are trapped in the system that tolerates abuse,

that tolerates slavery, that tolerates trafficking.

While many domestic helpers have a good experience in the UK ?

we've heard stories of workers' passports being taken away

by their employers ? and of some people going to extreme lengths

to terrorise their staff.

Some of them, it's like the iron. The employer would iron the hand.

Of course, it's visible. We can see that.

The hot water, you know, covered all over the body.

Marrissa's organisation helps the victims of

abuse start a new life.

Until recently their only branch was in London ? but their increasing

case load means there's now one in Leeds.

A domestic worker in Yorkshire, telling me that I will

run away at midnight.

Then I had to keep her online.

The moment they are out of the house, especially

if they have problem in English.

And then, I would just say, someone pass the phone to them

and I will talk to them.

Can you please direct her to the station, to the train

or bus station.

So, then I say, I will tell her they are waiting

for you in Victoria.

So when you arrive in Victoria, I'm there.

And for those who do flee, there is some hope.

Hello. Nice to see you.

Jheff Migano runs a store selling Asian food to some of the 5,000

Philippinos who live in Yorkshire ? and it's to his shop that many women

come when they need help.

From the first glance, you can see the loneliness

on their faces.

They are scared.

They don't know if police or immigration are

going to come for them.

Jheff's resources are limited ? but he says he can't turn them away.

If they come to me, I can give them food and accommodation, that's it.

But, about this, I don't know anything about it so they should

have a support for them, these victims.

Jeff does what he can ? but there are others offering help.

Good afternoon. Salvation Army.

The Salvation Army gives assistance to domestic workers

who are being abused, they say the number of calls

they get about slavery is rising.

There's an increasing number of victims of labour exploitation

but also domestic servitude.

In Yorkshire, we're seeing an increase in referrals,

along every category of this kind of exploitation.

The Home Office say they're introducing reforms to ensure

workers are better protected from abuse and slavery.

The Modern Slavery Act will, they say, give overseas domestic

workers who are potential victims of modern slavery immunity

from immigration enforcement action.

Back in Barnsley, Cecilia's life is now much better.

She has a steady job in the care sector, but she can never forget

what happened to her.

I don't want to see, it stayed with me, I've suffered before.

I don't want people to suffer the same way I have suffered before.

And I don't want it.

Who knows what goes on behind closed doors, but at least there's hope

that the voices who've remained silent for so long may

finally be heard.

And if you're affected by any of the issues in my report or you're

concerned about someone, there is a confidential helpline.

Or there is advice on the website modernslavery.co.uk

Still to come on Inside Out: '80s pop icon Mark Almond

takes a group of music students to perform on the big stage.

Now, how young is too young to sign up for a life in the military?

Well, there's just one college in the country

which actively recruits 16 and 17-year-olds

which actively recruits 16- and 17-year-olds

and it's just down the road.

Olivia Richwald has been given exclusive access to the

Harrogate Army Foundation College and its latest batch of recruits.

Next three rounds. It's in the middle.

A couple of times just getting beasted

when I did something wrong.

One, two, three!

Wanting to leave.

There are times when I have wanted to leave.

I'm definitely sticking it out, it's the job for me.

Too young to drink, too young to vote, old enough to join the Army

and be trained to kill.

These are Yorkshire's teenage Army recruits.

They can sign up fresh from school.

The paperwork commits them to study here for a year,

in exchange for wages of ?1200 a month.

From their 18th birthday they'll be committed to serving

four years in the Army.

I want to travel, get better qualifications,

make new friends and have a better life for myself.

I've always wanted to do something a bit more exciting

than the day-to-day job.

I think the army will give me what I wanted.

Since you were, sort of, ten, 11, you've always

talked about it.

We were, yes, yes, he'll grow out of it but never did.

Junior soldiers have been trained here in Harrogate

for the past 18 years.

The MoD invests tens of thousands of pounds in each recruit

and they have to be very dedicated before they're accepted here.

Harrogate's Army Foundation College is controversial.

It's the only place in the country where children, those aged 16 and 17

those aged 16 and 17,

can join the military.

Critics say 16 is too young to make that kind of commitment.

But those who come here spend around 30% of their time in the classroom

and the education results achieved here are remarkable.

Some of them come with a reading age of between a five

and seven-year-old.

A lot of them come with a reading age between a nine and 11-year-olds.

A lot of them come with a reading age between a nine and 11-year-old.

The ones that have just left did fantastically, they have

progressed if not one level, two levels for some of them,

which is a great achievement in the short amount

of time we have them here.

Fewer than 10% of recruits are female.

But they're expected to work just as hard as the boys.

In addition to the gruelling physical regime, 17-year-old

Demi Allan from Edinburgh has started boxing ? if she can train

hard enough she might make the Army boxing team ?

which will be a fantastic start to her military career.

I enjoy the fitness, the fighting,

just the team spirit. I like it.

Action drill starts in nine seconds.

Don your respirator before the gas gets into your system.

The junior soldiers are now halfway through their training and this

is something they dread on the timetable, they're

going into the CS gas chamber.

What I want you to do now is carry out immediate decontamination.

Although you can't see it,

this shed is filled with CS ? or tear - gas.

Contact with it causes coughing, dizziness,

burning eyes and sickness.

Junior soldiers need to be able to handle a chemical incident.

And today they're being tested to see if they can decontaminate

their masks, faces and water supply.

When you first take it off, it isn't too bad.

Just your eyes start watering.

And then you're in there for longer and you start breathing in.

Horrible, can't breathe, You've got snot running

down your face.

You know, pretty sights.

You feel like you're choking and burning.

Happy it's over?

Happy it's over, yeah.

From here the challenges will only get tougher.

We've joined the junior soldiers on one of their main field exercises

near Catterick Garrison.

They're sleeping rough here in the woods, living

in sleeping bags and on ration packs.

This exercise is just three days long but when they join the Army

for real it could be for weeks at a time.

There's a huge sense of achievement once they've

completed these exercises.

We've seen them grow already.

It becomes easier as time goes on.

I'm starving!

I've had those before.

So, you're sleeping in the woods. What's that like?

Horrible.

I'm scared of spiders, and there's loads of them

and ants and insects.

But you get used to it.

When we go into the ring, the bell goes, what's

the first thing we do?

The summer term ends with college boxing night.

And Demi Allan's dedication has paid off.

She's been picked to fight in the only female bout of the evening.

I blank out going to the ring but it's walking out

that it's going to scare me.

You've got all the duty soldiers watching.

You've got the brigadiers, the sergeants, the officers.

You've got a lot of people come to watch.

After three two-minute rounds, it's a win for Demi.

How do you feel after that fight?

I'm knackered but I'm really glad I won it.

It was worth all that training, getting up early in the morning.

It's worth it.

And what are you looking forward to the most after this?

A shower!

And we will be following the progress of Demi,

Ben and Romario, to see if they graduate next year.

Now, students at the Leeds College of Music have been given an

opportunity of a lifetime.

To perform at one of the country's best

venues with an '80s pop icon.

Johnny I'Anson followed them on this amazing journey.

We looked on ourselves very much as an underground band.

We were a northern, electronic, underground band.

He was one of the biggest stars of the '80s.

Before you know it, you're on TOTP and then your life changes

completely after that.

MUSIC: Tainted Love by Soft Cell.

35 years on, he remains one of the country's

biggest singing stars with an instantly recognisable voice

and he can fill some of the most prestigious venues in the country.

When you go out onto the stage, it's a thrill

because you feel part of that history of walking out.

It all started for Marc Almond and Soft Cell here in Leeds

where he went to art college.

And that's why he's preparing to give something back

to the next generation of music students.

Leeds College of Music ? and a group of student musicians

are tuning up before their first rehearsal for the most

important gig of their lives.

They are going to be performing with Marc Almond

at one of the biggest concert venues in the country -

the Royal Festival Hall in London.

I was expecting everything to be ragged

but it's not it's fantastic which is inspiring for me.

It's going to be a really great show I think.

MUSIC: "Jackie" by Jacques Brel

And final year student Lily Kerbey who is in the choir has

just heard that she will have a very special part to play.

I'm doing a little duet with him.

We're doing Haunted Heart which is a classic song which

was done I think by Jo Stafford.

My mum's got tickets for the London gig so she'll be able to see me.

I was going to keep it as a surprise but I was on the phone

to her and I was like "Oh, my gosh, I'm doing a duet with Marc Almond!"

Obviously she knows who he is more than our generation does.

And Marc really did become one of the voices

of the post-punk generation.

His big break came in the late '70s at one particular club

in Leeds - the Warehouse.

There was no other club like it in the north of England.

People came from everywhere to come to the Warehouse.

It was amazing.

I started becoming a DJ at that point.

I already had my foot in the door.

So Mike the owner of the Warehouse knew I'd started this band Soft Cell

and he could see electronic music was emerging and becoming big around

the north of England.

They call themselves the Young Romantics

or the New Romantics but if you look

at the costumes you'll see that's the understatement of the year.

Richard Madeley did his first TV interview with me

at the Warehouse!

It's probably there on Youtube somewhere!

I think the whole thing is just about young

people having a good time and enjoying themselves.

So Non Stop Erotic Cabaret came out.

It's massive. Were you ready for that?

Not really!

I was still living in a shared student place in Leeds.

When the call came and they said you're in the top 20,

then you're number nine, then three, then number one,

it was just like unreality, really.

And before you know it, you're on TOTP!

Now, Soft Cell.

Last time I saw them, it was a fairly

squalid gig in Leeds.

Now, they're on Top of the Pops.

And unlike some of his contemporaries, Marc's career has

stood the test of time.

Two years ago, Leeds College of Music offered him

an honorary fellowship.

It was nice of them to recognise that I'd been part of Leeds music.

Even though I wasn't born in Leeds, Leeds has always been

like a musical home for me.

Finally the big day has arrived ?

a beautiful sunny day to be performing at the Festival Hall.

So how's everyone feeling?

It's nerve-wracking walking on.

There's wires everywhere and you're thinking,

don't trip over.

But as soon as you're singing or playing your

instrument, it's fine.

I feel so honoured - there are so many

flute players in college and I was chosen to perform here.

When do the nerves set in?

About half an hour into it.

You're not nervous yet?

Nah!

Somehow I don't believe him.

So this is it then - months of hard work,

more than one sleepless night, now it's just the small

job of performing at the Royal Festival Hall.

I don't know who's more nervous, me or them.

I'm just looking through the window.

It looks like a packed house but we knew that was the case.

Playing the Festival Hall is always daunting.

For me ? so it will be exciting for the others.

It's great.

It's going to be a fanstastic show.

# Now it begins...

The first half seems to whizz by and soon it's time

for Lily's duet with Marc.

Will you please say hello to Lily Kerbey who's

going to join me for this last song.

# There's a ghost of you in my haunted heart

She certainly did her mum and nana proud.

The minute I know that Mum or Dad

is going to be in the audience,

I'm like...

I came and sat down in my seat and everyone was like,

are you all right, and I said yes!

Awesome, absolutely amazed!

In the second half,

Marc and the college musicians treat the audience to some

of his biggest hits.

And the crowd, as they say, go wild!

Such a thrill and an honour for me to work

on stage with such fantastic musicians, fantastic people ?

the arrangements, the choir ? absolutely everything was wonderful.

I couldn't have dreamt of anything more.

That's all from here in beautiful north Yorkshire.

Make sure you join us next time.

Good

Good afternoon.

Good afternoon. Not