In a shocking incident, an Argentine mother allegedly sold her 11-year-old daughter in exchange for a freezer.
Thirty-year-old Pabla Cesarina Monzon Aldana reportedly swapped her daughter to a neighbour for the kitchen appliance and several other household items, police said.
The girl, who is now in protective custody, was then forced to work alongside other kids in an illegal aluminium pan factory in Buenos Aires where she was allegedly sexually abused, 'New York Daily News' reported.
The nerve-wracking incident came to light last week after policemen raided a clandestine workshop in the Bernal neighbourhood of the Argentinian capital.
Police have found five other youngsters, aged between 14 to 17, being forced to work in the shop. According to 'Cronica' newspaper, the girl, identified only by her initial "M" had previously been living with relatives in Paraguay.
However, her mother brought her back so that she could help earn money for the family.
The girl's father had not been keeping well, and she has three other siblings.
The report said that the family's financial strain led to the swap for the freezer.
The workers have been freed, and police has arrested the couple running the factory on suspicion of child labour exploitation.
However, the man who allegedly "bought" the girl is still at large.
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