British model Chloe Ayling tells of her alleged kidnapping in Italy for ‘sex slave auction’
‘I think I lost consciousness. When I woke up I was ... in the boot of a car, with my wrists and ankles tied and my mouth taped. I was inside a bag’
A British model and her lawyer have identified her as the victim of an alleged abduction in Milan by kidnappers who tried to auction her online.
The incident was reported over the weekend. Ayling was allegedly attacked by two men as she attended a photo shoot. The 20-year-old is believed to have been drugged and transported in a bag to Borgial, an isolated village near Turin, before being released six days later and taken to the British consulate in Milan.
“I think I lost consciousness. When I woke up I was wearing a pink bodysuit and the socks I’m in now. I realised I was in the boot of a car, with my wrists and ankles tied and my mouth taped. I was inside a bag, with only a small hole that allowed me to breathe.”
Ayling’s identity was confirmed by her lawyer, Francesco Pesce.
Ayling said that she screamed so much her captors were forced to stop the car three times while transporting her. She said her feet and hands were tied to a chest of drawers when in the house. “I was forced to sleep on the floor in a sleeping bag,” she said.
Ayling, allegedly abducted on 11 July, flew home on Sunday. The glamour model’s captors are alleged to have tried to sell her for more than US$300,000 (£230,000) and demanded her agent pay a ransom.
It made clear that there should be no investigation into what happened, that she should not speak ill of her kidnappers and that she should pay US$50,000 in bitcoin within a month. The letter said failure to comply would “result in your elimination”.
Lawyer Pesce, said: “I hope they find them soon as this could be very dangerous for other girls. This was a massive investigation that was carried out quickly; the police have worked very hard. The only mystery now is why this person [one of the suspects] went to the consulate with her.
“She suffered a lot. It was an awful experience ... and to believe that she would never see her family again. I was so encouraged to see how strong she was [when she revisited the house], a 20-year-old who had been through a terrible ordeal.”
“Now she is home and it’s important that she has time with her family and is left alone.”
Italian police said they were working with officials in Britain and Poland as they continue to investigate.