JAKARTA, Indonesia — Sri Siti Marni was 11 years old when her aunt introduced her to a wealthy acquaintance from Jakarta who promised to take her in and pay for her schooling.

It was a generous offer, delivered unexpectedly. Marni’s parents couldn’t refuse. Her father, who made a living as a driver, deliveryman and parking lot attendant, struggled to raise eight children. Marni, his eldest, had no hope of a better life without continuing her education.

Marni packed clothes and hijabs and left her hometown of Bogor, on the outskirts of the Indonesian capital. The door opened to the family of Meta Hasan Musdalifah, a former singer, who told Marni to call her “Mama” and to treat her four children as siblings. Marni felt like she was going on a long vacation.

But as the months passed, Musdalifah never mentioned school. The welcoming of those early days turned to cruelty. Marni was ordered to clean, iron and cook. When she didn’t finish her chores correctly or fast enough, Musdalifah would scream and hit her.