NGOCSTIP – Ilja Abbattista is not just a survivor. She is a voice rising from the depths of silence. Her journey began at the age of seventeen when she was lured into a trafficking network that would alter her life forever. Over the next three years, she was forced to serve nearly twenty thousand men across several European countries. It was only years later that her diagnosis of ADHD and autism helped her understand why she had been so vulnerable. These aspects of neurodiversity, often misunderstood or undetected, created cracks in her social defenses that traffickers exploited. Today, Ilja is a successful entrepreneur and a mother. But beyond those roles, she is an activist determined to reshape how the world views trauma, vulnerability, and recovery. She is calling for early diagnosis and trauma-informed support systems specifically tailored for neurodiverse individuals who are at higher risk of exploitation.
In her interviews and public talks, Ilja Abbattista shares that her undiagnosed ADHD and autism increased her trust and reduced her social awareness in dangerous situations. These traits appear commonly among neurodiverse individuals and often make it difficult to detect manipulation or deceit. Traffickers in exploitation networks used this as an entry point. Ilja only realized the danger after she had fallen deep into it. Her story breaks the stereotype that only the poor or desperate become victims of trafficking. People with neurodiverse conditions, especially those without diagnoses, frequently slip through the cracks in protection systems. Ilja shows that her neurodiversity not only increased her vulnerability but also played a role in her resilience. She used her intense focus and emotional regulation to survive three years of captivity. Now, Ilja speaks publicly to urge experts to include neurodiversity in tools for trafficking prevention and survivor support.
After escaping her traffickers, Ilja went through years of silence and emotional paralysis. Healing was not instant. It was a slow rebuilding of self-worth and identity. What began as private journaling eventually became public speaking. Her voice gained strength as she started to share not just her trauma but the patterns she noticed. People listened not because she was sensational but because she was honest. In telling her story, Ilja stripped away shame and exposed how systemic ignorance leaves neurodiverse individuals unprotected. By speaking out, she also created a space for others to come forward. Many survivors with similar diagnoses began to recognize themselves in her experience. Today, Ilja travels across Europe, giving workshops and working with researchers, law enforcement, and NGOs to reshape how people understand trafficking. She teaches others to use stories not only for raising awareness but also for rewriting systems that harmed her and countless survivors.
One of Ilja’s core missions involves promoting early diagnosis for neurodiverse youth. She believes early identification of her ADHD and autism would have reduced her vulnerability. Many schools and families often misunderstand, punish, or ignore children who show signs of neurodiversity. Ilja argues that these oversights give predators the opportunity to exploit them. She collaborates with medical professionals to bring behavioral screenings into community outreach programs.
But she also emphasizes that diagnosis is not enough. Trauma-informed care must follow. Survivors like Ilja need therapeutic environments that understand both the effects of trafficking and the nuances of neurodiverse behavior. Standard therapy often fails to meet their needs. Ilja is currently developing a pilot program for neurodiverse survivors that includes sensory-friendly environments, communication flexibility, and peer mentorship. Her goal is to ensure no other child is left without the tools to recognize danger or the support to heal after harm.
Ilja’s work does not stop at individual healing. She is focused on changing the systems that enable exploitation to persist. In her opinion, trafficking prevention must include more than border control and criminal prosecution. It must start in schools, clinics, and communities where signs of neurodiversity and distress often go unnoticed.
Ilja believes that society should not ignore those who face the highest risks. Policymakers need to design policies that prioritize the most marginalized communities to ensure real effectiveness. Through her nonprofit initiative, Ilja connects survivors, policymakers, and educators in collaborative dialogues. She urges institutions to collect data that includes neurodiversity markers. She places survivor testimonies at the heart of every reform discussion. Ilja highlights the link between neurodiversity and trafficking to challenge outdated views on vulnerability. Her advocacy pushes institutions to reevaluate how they define and address risk. She fights not only for justice but also for inclusion, recognition, and dignity for those the system often leaves behind.
