ECPAT-USA News Update: Survivors Rebuilding Their Lives

I want to share this news update and alert about child trafficking from ECPAT-USA.

View Update.

You can learn more about ECPAT-USA on the website at http://ecpatusa.org/.

AG touts new laws to combat human trafficking

The Associated Press released the following story today, it addresses the issues of identifying potential victims and rescuing them from traffickers on whom they’re dependent for basic needs.

OCEAN SPRINGS, Miss. (AP) — Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood says he will ask lawmakers for tougher state laws to deal with trafficking in human beings.

Hood recently wrapped a two-day conference in Ocean Springs that focused on the questions of what is human trafficking and how can it be stopped.

“Trafficking can be separated into two different categories: labor trafficking and sex trafficking,” Heather Wagner, an assistant attorney general. “So sex trafficking is only a part of the overall issue that we’re facing.”

Changing minds and attitudes about human trafficking isn’t easy, said Judy McKee with the National Association of Attorneys General.

“It’s a very long hard process, but we have, as I said, a whole generation of children that we need to be reaching out to and working with and try to rehabilitate so they can become survivors instead of victims,” McKee said.

Hood said far often than not, the victims are really thought of as criminals.

“If people like social workers begin to recognize it, if people like prosecutors recognize, hey, this girl is a teenage prostitute. But is somebody making her do this? Or is she being coerced or sold? Then I think we’ll begin to see a lot more reports of it,” Hood said.

Hood said he is working with legislators to strengthen state laws prohibiting human trafficking and the exploitation of children.

Among the proposals he’s working with legislators on is a bill mandating reporting of minors in the commercial sex trade as victims of child abuse or neglect.

Hood wants legislation offering protection to minors who are forced to prostitute themselves and heavier penalties for those who solicit and pay for their services.

Hood also hopes to have forfeiture laws in place for the human trafficking offenders and a form of restitution for the minor victims of the profitable sex trade.

Biloxi police Sgt. Aldon Helmert, who works in the special-crimes division, said local, state and federal authorities are working to identify human trafficking sex rings and the minor victims in those cases.

The penalty for those accused of human trafficking, he said, carries a maximum sentence of 30 years.

One problem officers run into, he said, is that some of the victims view the people who put them in the business more like caretakers because they give them a place to stay, food and clothing.

Read more: djournal.com – AG touts new laws to combat human trafficking

New Mass. human trafficking law goes into effect this weekend

Updated: Friday, 17 Feb 2012, 8:26 AM EST
Published : Friday, 17 Feb 2012, 6:52 AM EST

BOSTON (FOX 25/MyFoxBoston.com)  reported that Massachusetts’ new human trafficking law is “set to go into effect this weekend.

“Attorney General Martha Coakley says it’s mainly focused on protecting child prostitutes, but could also result in huge fines or even jail time for those who pay for sex from adults.

“Those convicted of trafficking children for sex or forced labor face life in prison.

“Anyone who pays for sex with someone under 18 could face 10 years behind bars.”

Read more: http://www.myfoxboston.com/dpp/news/local/human-trafficking-law-goes-into-this-weekend-20120217#ixzz1mr4xHefl

Social Justice: Living right while righting wrongs

THIS POST IS ABOUT THE ARTICLE “CHILDREN FOR SALE” IN THE JANUARY ISSUE OF ‘WAR CRY‘ .

THE SALVATION ARMY IS IN 124 COUNTRIES AND HAS A LOT OF EXPERIENCE WITH THE NEED OF SOCIAL JUSTICE IN THE WORLD.  THIS ARTICLE TALKS ABOUT HOW GIRLS WHO ARE ONLY SIX YEARS OLD GO TO THE PARK WITH THEIR MOTHERS TO BE SOLD.

THE GOOD NEWS IN THIS CASE IS THAT THE SALVATION ARMY INTERVENED AND PAID THE MOTHER AN AGREED UPON AMOUNT AND THE GIRL WAS SPARED THE TRAGEDY THAT MANY GIRLS ARE NOT FORTUNATE TO ESCAPE. THIS GIRL WAS SENT TO FRANCE TO THE SAFEKEEPING OF A SINGLE FEMALE SALVATION ARMY OFFICER!

THIS WORK THAT THE SALVATION ARMY IS DOING IS WONDERFUL AND IS NOT NEW TO THE ITALIAN ASSOCIATION OF POPE JOHN THE XXIII WHO HAS BEEN DOING THESE TYPES OF INTERVENTIONS IN ITALY AND IN SEVERAL COUNTRIES GLOBALLY. RESCUING THE VULNERABLE FROM THE EVILS OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING, WHETHER IT BE IN THE FORM OF FORCED LABOR AS DR. BALES HAS BATTLED AGAINST OR IN FLORIDA WITH THE COALITION AGAINST HUMAN TRAFFICKING (ONE OF THE EARLIEST ORGANIZATIONS TO BATTLE HUMAN TRAFFICKING IN SW FL) OR IN YOUR OWN BACKYARD, MUST BE A PRIORITY.

PLEASE EDUCATE YOURSELF AND DO WHAT YOU CAN.  HUMAN TRAFFICKING IS THE WORLD’S SECOND LARGEST INTERNATIONAL CRIME, AFTER DRUG TRAFFICKING AND AHEAD OF ARMS SALES…

THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME TODAY!  BECAUSE HUMAN RIGHTS MATTER! TO ALL OF US.

Hidden Slaves: Forced Labor in the U.S.

Forced Labor in the United States is a growing human rights abuse. Please view the following EXCERPT from a scholarly article: HIDDEN SLAVES: Forced Labor in the U.S. by Dr. Kevin Bales.

Please let me know if you have any comments or suggestions regarding identifying victims in these forced labor situations. There are many social and cultural aspects to these types of crimes. Ask yourself when reading the material, Why is it that it is tolerated in this country? What are the social, political, cultural, economic and legal considerations?

Thank You for viewing this article. Dr. Bales has also written a book under the same title.
Dr. Ann Marie Aiesi

Author: Dr. Kevin Bales, Free the Slaves
Copyright (c) 2005 Berkeley Journal of International Law
Berkeley Journal of International Law
2005
23 Berkeley J. Int’l L. 47
LENGTH: 34003 words

ARTICLE: Hidden Slaves: Forced Labor in the United States

NAME: By Free the Slaves, Washington, D.C., and the Human Rights Center of the University of California, Berke-ley*

BIO: * This report was written (in alphabetical order) by Kevin Bales, President, Free the Slaves; Laurel E. Fletcher, Acting Clinical Professor of Law and Director of the International Human Rights Law Clinic, University of California, Berkeley, School of Law (Boalt Hall); Eric Stover, Director of the Human Rights Center and Adjunct Professor of Pub-lic Health, University of California, Berkeley. Contributions to text were made by Steve Lize and Rachel Shigekane. Research for this report was conducted under the direction of Kevin Bales, Laurel Fletcher, and Eric Stover by Kevin Bales, Camilla Brown, Terry Coonan, Laurel Fletcher, Natalie Hill, Steve Lize, Kristin Madigan, Jacob Patton, Natasha Pinto, Rachel Shigekane, and Eric Stover. Harvey Weinstein consulted on the research design of the case studies. The Center for the Advancement of Human Rights at Florida State University conducted a survey of forty-nine social ser-vice providers in the United States. Further research assistance was provided by Alexander Freeman, Abigail Lloyd, Angele Motlagh, L. Kathleen Roberts, Rebecca Tanner, Kaja Tretjak, and Charlotte J. Wiener of the International Hu-man Rights Law Clinic at U.C. Berkeley. Jolene Smith of Free the Slaves and Mark Gertz and Pippin Whitaker of the Center for the Advancement of Human Rights, Florida State University, provided valuable assistance to this project. The researchers gratefully acknowledge the courage of survivors to speak with us in the hope that telling their stories will help eliminate forced labor.

SUMMARY:

… Forced labor is a serious and pervasive problem in the United States. … The press and service provider surveys show that, as of December 2003, victims of forced labor came from thirty-nine countries, including the United States. … It should be noted, however, that it is very difficult to classify trafficking cases as purely forced labor or sex trafficking because in many instances when the victim is a woman or child, she is both sexually abused and forced to work. … In one case that eventually exposed such a trafficking scheme, Lakireddy Bali Reddy, the California-based sex trafficker, arranged for a man and his sister from his hometown to fraudulently pose as the parents of two teenage sisters so that the sisters would be allowed to pass through U.S. immigration. … The influence of the perpetrator may hold sway over a survivor across international boundaries and across the span of years. … Some forced labor victims have even been liberated by local law enforcement personnel, as happened in the Reddy case. … This study shows that law enforce-ment, social service providers, and legal advocates have gained most of their understanding about trafficking and forced labor on a case-by-case basis. …

TEXT:

[*47]

I. Executive Summary

Forced labor is a serious and pervasive problem in the United States. At any given time, ten thousand or more people work as forced laborers in scores of cities and towns across the country. And it is likely that the actual number is much higher, possibly reaching into the tens of thousands. Because forced labor is hidden, inhumane, widespread, and crimi-nal, sustained and coordinated efforts by U.S. law enforcement, social service providers, and the general public are needed to expose and eradicate this illicit trade.

The International Labor Organization (ILO) Convention Concerning Forced Labor 29 defines forced labor, with exceptions, as “all work or service which is exacted from any person under the menace of any penalty and for which the said person has not offered himself voluntarily.” n1

[*48] This report documents the nature and scope of forced labor in the United States from January 1998 to De-cember 2003. It is the first study to examine the numbers, demographic characteristics, and origins of victims and perpe-trators of forced labor in the United States and the adequacy of the U.S. response to this growing problem since the en-actment of the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act of 2000 (Trafficking Act). The report is based on data obtained from a telephone survey of forty-nine service providers that have worked with or are experts in forced labor cases, a press survey of 131 incidents of forced labor, and eight case studies of forced labor in different regions of the United States. The study was conducted by a team of researchers from Free the Slaves n2 and the Human Rights Center of the University of California, Berkeley. n3

Victims of forced labor come from numerous ethnic and racial groups. Most are “trafficked” from thirty-five or more countries and, through force, fraud, or coercion, find themselves laboring against their will in the United States. In the study, Chinese comprised the largest number of victims, followed by Mexicans and Vietnamese. Some victims were born and raised in the United States and found themselves pressed into servitude by fraudulent or deceptive means. Over the past five years, forced labor operations have been reported in at least ninety U.S. cities. These operations tend to thrive in states with large populations and sizable immigrant communities, such as California, Florida, New York, and Texas – all of which are transit routes for international travelers.

Forced labor is prevalent in five sectors of the U.S. economy: prostitution and sex services (46%), domestic service (27%), agriculture (10%), sweatshop/factory (5%), and restaurant and hotel work (4%). Forced labor persists in these sectors because of low wages, lack of regulation and monitoring of working [*49] conditions, and a high demand for cheap labor. These conditions enable unscrupulous employers and criminal networks to gain virtually complete control over workers’ lives.

HIDDEN SLAVES

The U.S. government has been a leader in recognizing and combating forced labor worldwide. The Trafficking Act embodies an aggressive, proactive approach to the problem of human trafficking and forced labor that:

. criminalizes procuring and subjecting another human being to peonage, involuntary sex trafficking, slavery, involun-tary servitude, or forced labor;

. provides social services and legal benefits to survivors of these crimes, including authorization to remain in the country;

. provides funding to support protection programs for survivors in the United States as well as abroad; and

. includes provisions to monitor and eliminate trafficking in countries outside the United States.

Despite these considerable advancements, the Trafficking Act has some notable shortcomings. The act conditions im-migration relief and social services on prosecutorial cooperation and thus creates the perception that survivors are pri-marily instruments of law enforcement rather than individuals who are, in and of themselves, deserving of protection and restoration of their human rights.

Furthermore, more proactive measures need to be taken to train law enforcement officers, particularly at the local level, to identify victims and forced labor operations; improve cooperation and information sharing on forced labor be-tween federal and state agencies; revise procedures for the handling of survivors; and provide survivors with protection, benefits, and compensation.

By and large, victims of forced labor are reluctant to report abuse to law enforcement personnel because they fear retribution from their traffickers. Many victims also have an inherent fear of police based on their past experiences with corrupt authorities in their home countries and communities. To overcome these obstacles, there is an urgent need to train law enforcement personnel at all levels to recognize and assist trafficking victims.

Trafficking is defined almost exclusively as a federal crime to be handled by federal authorities. This limited man-date has hindered coordination between federal and state law enforcement agencies and, in turn, has allowed perpetra-tors of forced labor to go undetected. Moreover, federal law enforcement personnel are often unable to protect survivors and their families from traffickers because authorities lack the necessary legal tools, assistance, and funds to provide them with secure and safe refuge. Taken together, these obstacles can impede a survivor’s willingness to cooperate in criminal investigations.

Forced labor survivors are at significant risk of developing health-related problems. Most survivors come from im-poverished areas of the world where access to adequate health care is limited or nonexistent. Because forced labor vic-tims often circumvent formal medical screenings for migrants, many arrive in the United States without proper immuni-zations and bearing communicable diseases. Once trafficked migrants reach their destination in the United States, they continue to face a variety of health risks as they begin working in dangerous and unregulated work environments. Those who work in the sex trade are especially [*50] at risk of contracting HIV or other sexually transmitted diseases. Perpe-trators of forced labor frequently use violence or the withholding of food as a means of “breaking,” controlling, and punishing their workers.

Victims of forced labor often suffer psychological assaults designed to keep them submissive. Cut off from contact with the outside world, they can lose their sense of personal efficacy and control, attributes that mental health profes-sionals have long considered essential to good mental and physical health. In such situations, many forced labor victims become increasingly dependent on their captors, if merely to survive. While little is known about the specific psycho-logical sequelae of forced labor, survivors often report feelings of depression, recurring nightmares, and panic attacks.

While the Trafficking Act has greatly amplified the federal government’s role in investigating and prosecuting forced labor cases in the United States, the job of providing basic social and legal services to survivors has fallen squarely on the shoulders of nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and social service agencies. Yet fewer than half of these agencies are able to meet these needs. Social service agencies report that finding appropriate housing for survivors has been one of their greatest challenges. Housing that is safe and secure can protect survivors from their former cap-tors. Yet housing of any kind can be costly for social service agencies. Much would be gained if these agencies were provided with greater financial support so that they could provide survivors of forced labor with safe and adequate housing and other basic legal and social services.

We recommend that the U.S. government undertake the following measures to combat forced labor in the United States:

1. Start a broad-based awareness-raising campaign about human trafficking and forced labor in the United States with special attention to reaching immigrant communities. Private citizens should be informed about the characteristics of forced labor operations and how to identify potential victims. Further, increased public awareness about the demand for goods and services provided by forced labor can foster public pressure on employers and manufacturers to eradicate conditions that generate market vulnerabilities to the use of forced labor.

2. Improve the institutional capacity of law enforcement personnel at the local, state, and federal level to respond to forced labor and trafficking. The U.S. government should increase training and coordination of officials involved in the identification, investigation, and prosecution of perpetrators. In addition, more resources should be devoted to enable service agencies to aid existing clients and to conduct outreach that might result in identifying more victims.

3. Ensure better legal protections and monitoring of workers in sectors such as agriculture, domestic labor, garment manufacturing, and food service that are particularly vulnerable to forced labor and trafficking. The U.S. government should promote accountability in sectors, especially agriculture and garment manufacturing, which use subcontracting systems that violate labor laws and practices.

[*51] 4. Correct aspects of migration policy that provide incentives for unscrupulous employers to use forced la-bor. The U.S. government should eliminate the visa requirement that requires each worker to remain with one particular employer. This would help reduce the vulnerability of low-wage workers to exploitation.

5. Strengthen protection and rehabilitation programs for survivors. To address short-term needs of survivors, the U.S. government should create incentives for survivors to come forward and cooperate with law enforcement personnel. This includes developing mechanisms to protect victims and family members vulnerable to retaliation and threats by traffickers in home countries. U.S. authorities should also review eligibility requirements for immigration relief, as well as their administration, to ensure that they are consistent with the goal of supporting and protecting survivors. Increased public and private support to social service agencies is necessary to provide adequate, safe housing to survivors upon liberation from captivity. Once survivors feel safe and secure, they are more likely to aid law enforcement personnel in the prosecution of suspected traffickers.

II.

Introduction

Migrant-Camp Operators Face Forced Labor Charges

The New York Times, June 21, 2002

Takoma Park Couple Enslaved Woman

The Washington Post, June 10, 2003

Slavery in Florida’s Citrus Groves

The Miami Herald, Nov. 21, 2002

“Coyotes” Offer Evil Deal: Hondurans Forced into Prostitution

The Washington Times, July 23, 2002

For most Americans, the occasional newspaper headline is the only indication that forced labor exists in the United States. Each year, forced labor generates millions of dollars for criminals who prey on the most vulnerable – the poor, the uneducated, and the impoverished immigrant seeking a better life. Held as captives, victims of forced labor toil in slave-like conditions for months and even years with little or no contact with the outside world. Those who survive en-slavement face enormous challenges as they struggle to regain control over their shattered lives. Forced labor is a seri-ous and pervasive problem in the United States for four reasons: it is hidden, it is inhumane, it is widespread, and it is criminal.

Forced Labor Is Hidden

Each year thousands of men, women, and children are trafficked into the United States and forced to work without pay in deplorable conditions. Most of them are rarely seen in public places. Hidden from view, they toil in sweatshops, brothels, farms, and private homes. To prevent them from escaping, their [*52] captors confiscate their identification documents, forbid them from leaving their workplaces or contacting their families, threaten them with arrest and depor-tation, and restrict their access to the surrounding community.

Forced Labor Is Inhumane

Victims of forced labor have been tortured, raped, assaulted, and murdered. They have been held in absolute control by their captors and stripped of their dignity. Some have been subjected to forced abortion, dangerous working conditions, poor nutrition, and humiliation. Some have died during their enslavement. Others have been physically or psychologi-cally scarred for life. Once freed, many will suffer from a host of health-related problems, including repetitive stress injury, chronic back pain, visual and respiratory illnesses, sexually transmitted diseases, and depression.

Forced Labor Is Widespread

Forced labor exists in ninety cities across the United States. It is practiced in a wide range of industrial sectors, includ-ing domestic service, the sex industry, food service, factory production, and agriculture. In the last five years alone, the press has reported 131 cases of forced labor in the United States involving 19,254 men, women, and children from a wide range of ethnic and racial groups. n4 Although many victims are immigrants, some are U.S. residents or citizens.

Forced Labor Is Criminal

Forced labor is universally condemned and outlawed. Its practice in the United States violates a host of laws, including prohibitions on indentured servitude, money laundering, and tax evasion. Yet criminals find it a highly profitable and lucrative enterprise. Their workers are forced to be docile, and when problems arise, “employers” know they can rein workers in with threats and physical violence. Criminals also have learned that the odds are good that they will never be held accountable in a court of law.

The Study

The United States is at a critical juncture in its struggle to end forced labor. In 2000, the U.S. government enacted new laws to hold perpetrators of forced labor accountable and to assist survivors freed from captivity. Since then, both prosecutions of suspected wrongdoers and the number of social and legal service providers assisting survivors have in-creased exponentially. As efforts to stamp out forced labor gather speed, there is a need to evaluate the record to date and to propose new measures that will further strengthen the eradication of this egregious practice. To this end, Free the Slaves and the Human Rights Center at the University of California, Berkeley, with the assistance of the Center for the Advancement [*53] of Human Rights at Florida State University, conducted a study of the nature and scope of forced labor in the United States to assess efforts of the government and NGOs to address the problem and recommend meas-ures to improve the U.S. response to forced labor.

The research team employed a combination of quantitative and qualitative research methodologies. To gain an un-derstanding of the numbers, demographic characteristics, and origins of those in forced labor in the United States, we conducted:

. a survey of newspaper articles reporting incidents of forced labor between January 1998 and December 2003; n5

. a telephone survey of forty-nine service providers that have worked with or are knowledgeable about forced labor cases; n6

. a review of reports published by the U.S. government regarding the number of forced labor cases it has investi-gated and prosecuted.

To gain knowledge regarding the experience of survivors of forced labor and the adequacy of the United States re-sponse, we also conducted:

. a review of the U.S. and international laws regarding forced labor;

. interviews with key informants, including government officials, service providers, and advocates, who have ex-tensive experience with forced labor;

. eight case studies of forced labor in different regions of the United States that illustrate how the problem has af-fected a wide range of economic and demographic sectors. n7

Of the eight case studies selected for study, one involved forced prostitution, two involved servitude of domestic work-ers, two involved agricultural workers, two involved factory workers, and one involved children who had been sexually abused and forced to work in the restaurant and service industries. In conducting the case studies, researchers often en-countered difficulty gaining access to survivors. Some service providers and advocates were unwilling to convey our request for participation in this study to their clients, citing the need to [*54] protect them from contact with individu-als who were not directly involved in their cases. This access barrier to survivors may impede success of further re-search regarding the effects of forced labor on survivors and may influence how well clients are served by the current U.S. response. Despite this challenge, researchers interviewed six survivors.

The Case against Kil-Soo Lee: Sweatshop Workers in American Samoa

Kil-Soo Lee, a Korean businessman, recruited women primarily from China and Vietnam to work in his garment fac-tory on the island of American Samoa from 1998 until the factory closed in late 2000. Kil-Soo Lee used employment contract fees and penalties to trap the workers into remaining with the company. He kept workers locked in the factory compound, withheld food as punishment, and authorized violent retaliation for resistance on the part of the workers. In February 2003, Kil-Soo Lee was convicted of criminal charges of involuntary servitude, extortion, and money launder-ing.

The Case against Lakireddy Bali Reddy: Sexual Exploitation in California

Lakireddy Bali Reddy, a local businessman, sexually exploited several young girls from his native village in India. Un-covered in January 2000, his sex and labor exploitation ring spanned fifteen years and operated in India and California. He repeatedly raped and sexually abused his victims and forced them to work in his businesses in Berkeley, California, including a well-established Indian restaurant. Reddy pleaded guilty to criminal charges related to immigration fraud and illegal sexual activity and agreed to pay $ 2 million in restitution to several of his victims.

The Case against Victoria Island Farms/JB Farm Labor Contractor: Exploitative Farm Labor in California

California asparagus harvesters, numbering in the hundreds, were forced to harvest the high-priced vegetable in sub-standard conditions for virtually no pay on the property of Victoria Islands, an internationally known asparagus grower, during the 2000 growing season. Hired by JB Farm Labor Contractor, the workers, recruited mostly from Mexico, were powerless to stop the huge deductions for transportation and other “debts” the employer deducted from their weekly paychecks. Some escaped during the season. Some of the workers filed a civil case against JB Farm Labor Contractor and Victoria Island Farms that resulted in the defendants’ paying the workers the wages owed them.

The Case against R&A Harvesting: Forced Farm Labor in Florida

Florida citrus pickers endured abuse by R&A Harvesting, a farm labor contractor, between January 2000 and June 2001. The company used threats of violence to force as many as 700 Mexican and Guatemalan workers to labor for little or no pay. After R&A Harvesting employees attacked a van driver suspected [*55] of assisting the workers, the Coali-tion of Immokalee Workers, a local community organization, pressured prosecutors to investigate the allegations of forced labor. The owners of R&A Harvesting, the three Ramos brothers and a cousin, were tried and convicted of forced labor charges in 2002.

The Case against the Cadena Family: Forced Prostitution in Florida and South Carolina

Based in Mexico, Cadena family members lured young girls and women to come to the United States ostensibly to work as waitresses and domestic workers. Between August 1996 and February 1998, the Cadena family brought be-tween twenty-five and forty unsuspecting victims to Florida and South Carolina and forced them to work as prostitutes to service primarily Mexican migrant farm workers. In March 1998, several Cadena family members and their associ-ates were brought to justice, receiving criminal sentences ranging from two to fifteen years imprisonment.

The Case against Supawan Veerapool: Enslavement of a Domestic Service Worker in California

In 1989, a Thai woman by the name of Supawan Veerapool, the common law wife of Thailand’s ambassador to Swe-den, brought a domestic worker to Los Angeles to provide household support in her home. On arrival in the United States, Veerapool confiscated the domestic worker’s passport and then forced her to work twenty-hour days, six days a week until she escaped in 1998. Convicted on criminal charges in 1999, Veerapool was sentenced to eight years in prison.

The Case against the John Pickle Company: Forced Labor in a Factory in Oklahoma

In 2001, the Al-Samit International agency recruited qualified skilled workers in India by promising them good jobs in a factory that manufactured pressure valves in the state of Oklahoma. On arrival, the John Pickle Company forced the workers to surrender their travel documents, live in the factory, and work twelve to sixteen hours a day, six days a week, for well below the legal minimum wage. By February 2002, all of the approximately fifty workers had managed to es-cape. They later filed a civil suit against their former employer. Subsequently, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the federal agency charged with investigating and filing cases of employment discrimination, filed a sepa-rate civil action against the John Pickle Company.

The Case against the Satia Family: Forced Domestic Servitude in Washington, D.C.

The Satias, two Cameroonian sisters and their husbands, recruited young Cameroonian girls, aged fourteen and seven-teen, to work as domestics in their Washington, D.C. homes. They recruited the girls with the promise of studying [*56] in the United States in exchange for providing childcare and domestic help. Once in the United States, the Satias confined the domestic servants to their homes and forced them to work in excess of fourteen hours a day without remu-neration and under threat of violence and deportation. The younger survivor escaped in 1999 after two years of captiv-ity. A year later, the older survivor fled, after having endured five years of exploitation. In 2001, the Satia sisters and their husbands were charged with forced labor. Found guilty, they received criminal sentences ranging from five to nine years and were ordered to pay their victims over $ 100,000 in restitution.

The rest of this report consists of six sections. Section 3 provides background and analysis of the causes and extent of forced labor in the United States. It reviews the literature and research on the structure of labor markets and their re-lationship to maintaining forced labor. It also examines data collected on forced labor to determine geographic and demographic patterns, as well as the occurrence of forced labor in particular economic sectors. Section 4 reviews the legal history of prohibitions against forced labor in the United States and at the international level. Section 5 examines the way in which U.S. laws are enforced against traffickers and used to assist survivors of forced labor. Section 6 dis-cusses the impacts of trafficking and forced labor on the health of survivors. Section 7 sets out the numerous challenges that social and legal service providers face in their efforts to meet the needs of survivors. Finally, Section 8 presents our conclusions and recommendations to strengthen the U.S. response to forced labor.

III.

Ending Forced Labor in the United States

Forced labor exists in the United States because factors in the U.S. economy, the legal system, and immigration policy support it. Forced labor is a problem that is driven by a growing “informal economy” in the United States. The Interna-tional Labor Organization (ILO) defines an informal economy as “all remunerative work – both self-employment and wage employment – that is not recognised, regulated, or protected by existing legal or regulatory frameworks and non-remunerative work undertaken in an income-producing enterprise.” n8 Forced labor exists in both legal and illegal in-dustries that are poorly regulated and fail to comply with U.S. labor laws. “Employers” in such industries are often criminal entrepreneurs for whom forced labor may be one of a number of illegal activities. Over time, such employers have found that forced labor can support a lucrative business through the ready availability of free labor, better and more varied transport, new methods of secure communications, and the increased permeability of borders.

View the complete article.

Human Rights Research & Training Publications Law Enforcement Guide 001

I wrote the Training Guide 001 guide as a basic protocol actually to help myself to better understand how to identify victims of human trafficking in various areas of the community, and also to share local experience and contact information for cases in Massachusetts.

However, in addition to my research and education on human rights, it was my relationship with the Florida Coalition Against Human Trafficking that taught me how to “think” about this identification process.  Director, Anna Rodriguez was my teacher, and is one of the leading Abolitionists in this fight to end human slavery as it exists in the modern world.  I do not consider myself an expert in this endeavor, only a beginner, but the learning process evolves and the folks who we interact with and who are essentially our teachers should be acknowledged and appreciated.

The goal to emancipate these members of society is so urgent that sometimes we muddle our intentions and get lost in the shuffle somehow, each going their own way.  Unfortunately, the only way to solve these social problems is to “come together and unite” and we will be more efficient.  That is what the criminals do, so must the advocates!  Please let me know if you have any suggestions as you view the following basic training guidebook.

Thank You.
Dr. Ann Marie Aiesi

Human Rights Training and Research Publications
Training Guide 001
Dr. Ann Marie Aiesi, J.S.D. Intercultural Human Rights
Law Enforcement Guide to Identify Victims of Human Trafficking
Copyright © UMI 3428557, 2011, by PRoquest LL C

Although human trafficking crime is difficult to detect, there are some common patterns identified over the last few years that may help law enforcement, advocates and others to identify victims of human trafficking. There is often numerous individuals involved in the trafficking process; recruiters, transporters, guards, safe house operators, tax accountants, managers, business owners, landlords and enforcers who have control over the victims. All of these individuals are considered culpable and as such must be investigated by authorities once a potential victim has been identified. As the key elements of human trafficking crime are force, fraud and coercion, so too, these elements may be used as key indicators of potential trafficking crimes.

Part of the problem is that the community does not believe human trafficking is occurring in their neighborhoods as trafficking is in many cases a “hidden” crime. According to the United Nations estimates, over 2 million victims are being trafficked in the United States and 27 million victims worldwide for forced labor, bonded labor, sex trafficking and other forms of slavery. Human trafficking does exist and is the second largest world crime after drug trafficking; with arms sales as the third largest crime. Law enforcement have been identified as one of the main groups which are successful at identifying potential victims as well as non-government actors and others, but we need to be more proactive and explore new ways to get out in the community and identify victims.

Trafficking Victim Protection Act (TVPA) 2000

Definitions

The TVPA (2000) defines “severe forms of Trafficking in Persons” as

Sex Trafficking: The recruitment , harboring, transportation, provision, or obtaining of a person for the purpose of a commercial sex act, [1] in which a commercial sex act is induced by force, fraud, or coercion, or in which the person forced to perform such an act is under the age of 18; or

Labor Trafficking: The recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision, or obtaining of a person for labor or services, through the use of force, fraud or coercion for the purpose of subjection to involuntary servitude, peonage, debt bondage or slavery.

Elements of Trafficking Crime: force, fraud and coercion

Who are victims?

Victims are young men, women and children and are foreigners and U.S. citizens. Victims of trafficking tend to be vulnerable persons who have migrated or been drawn in some way (recruited) to work and live in a different setting. The reality of a new location and unfamiliar circumstances often add to the vulnerability. In many cases, victims also have language and cultural barriers that keep them from understanding what is happening to them. In some cases, domestic victims of human trafficking do know what is happening to them but are extremely afraid to tell anyone or to go to the police. In every case, fear is what keeps victims subjected to often brutal conditions of isolation, slavery, physical and psychological abuse. Some experts believe that the conditions of enslavement of a human trafficking victim are similar to that of a “torture” victim. [2] As a result, victims are extremely sensitive and vulnerable and have lost a sense of human dignity.

Approaching Victims

Officers need to approach potential victims of crime with caution, despite how the victim acts externally (may seem angry, or self-assured) because the victim may be masking painful psychological symptoms. When interviewing a victim, briefly inform the victim who you are and why you are there. Ask the victim how they are doing? It is best if interviews can be done without wearing official dress uniforms (guns, badges) because experts believe that this is less intimidating environment for victims that are probably fearful or arrest or in some cases detention and deportation.

[3] Proceed with interview questions, preferably accompanied by an NGO in their offices, or if the interview must be at the police station, choose a comfortable less threatening environment accompanied by the NGO and if necessary, a translator obtained by law enforcement and not by the potential victim. Translators may be traffickers in disguise or be working for the interests of the trafficker. Similarly, assist the victim to obtain legal representation; someone who is not related to the victim and who is preferably recommended by the NGO.

Debt-bondage

Victims are often subjected to debt-bondage, often incurred through smuggling or traveling expenses (if foreigner) and may owe exorbitant amounts of money.

Traffickers use this debt to threaten victims or their families back home. Victims may need to be told that their debts are often legally un-enforceable; it is illegal for traffickers or employment agencies to dictate terms of the debt. In most cases, the debt continues to amass rapidly as traffickers exploit the situation adding on living expenses. In some cases traffickers impose increased fines on the victim if the victim does not perform their job well or for bad behavior, increasing the debt. Many victims loose track of the amount of the debt, and may not even know if they are getting paid for their work, or how much money is supposedly going towards the debt.

Identification Documents

Traffickers have been known to confiscate the victim’s identification documents, driver’s license, passport, etc. This is another form of control and the way that traffickers are assured victims can not escape.

Victims Do Not Self-Identify

In many cases, victims unfamiliar with the laws or customs of a particular country may not know they are being violated. They may know that the situation does not make them happy or they may, in fact feel miserable, but they do not know what a “victim of human trafficking” is, nor do they identify as such. It is the job of the NGO, or law

enforcement officer, or other person who identifies the victim (lawyer) to help them understand the law and assure them that a fair investigation will follow, should they decide to move forward with a legal approach.

Victim Consent

Before proceeding with the investigation, you must obtain the consent of the victim, unless the victim is in immediate and obvious danger.

If you are not a law enforcement officer you should contact police at (Contact 911) or the DHHS Trafficking Information and 24 Hour Referral Hotline 1.888.3737.888 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 1.888.3737.888 end_of_the_skype_highlighting

The Hotline will help you to identify whether or not you have encountered a victim of human trafficking and will identify local resources in the community such as social service providers or shelters in the area to help the victim to escape the trafficking situation.

After drug dealing, and tied with the illegal arms industry, Modern day slavery is the second largest and fastest growing crime in the world today!

Please take the time to look a little closer, it may make all the difference in the life of a victim of trafficking and, in most cases, you will find that it will cost you very little to respond cautiously, compassionately and intelligently.

Identifying potential trafficking schemes/ victims

Example: Elements of trafficking crime: force, fraud, coercion

Indicators of force: TVPA

Imprisonment, isolation, bars on windows, living and working in the same location, heavy security, guards at doors, locked residences and fences around property, restricted access to outdoors and transportation systems, freedom of movement restricted.

Physical abuse- bruises, cigarette burns, scratches or scars, branding on skin to signify ownership, untreated illnesses or denial of medical attention, std’s (sexually transmitted disease) and untreated sexually transmitted disease can cause sterility, poor health, extreme fatigue, forced pregnancy or abortion, forced drug use, denial of food.,

Psychological abuse- depression, anxiety, suicide attempts, brainwashing, Stockholm syndrome (identifying with abuser), defense of trafficker (Stockholm Syndrome), romantic relationship with the trafficker.

Disorientation with time or place- Victim may be disoriented with location of residence where living or with date and time. This may be the result of extreme isolation, traumatic stress or drugs induced by the trafficker to gain control over the victim.

Identify victims en route traveling- routine transporting of individual or rotation to other locations, victim always accompanied by another individual sometimes much older in age and may act as a translator for individual, may be a man or women.

Detention and Custody- Victim may be forced to use attorney that they did not choose, therefore attorney should be verified with local NGO who often is aware of many of the immigration attorney’s or non-profit attorney organizations and ethnic organizations which offer legal services.

Rehearsed Stories- Victims in custody, or during an investigation following a brothel or other federal raid often give false statements to police officers regarding their circumstances, such as; “I am working in this job voluntarily so that I can send money home to my children, or for my child who needs an operation, or for my dying parent who needs medicine, etc.

Indicators of fraud: TVPA

False travel documents- passports, immigration documents
False work permit
False employment contract
False promises to victim regarding the type of work promised versus the type of work available
False promises about the salary which is not being honored
False promises about the transportation process: smuggling
Deception about conditions or location of employment
False identity: individual assumes the identity of another
Stealing the identity documents such as a credit card number of another
Victim was coached by trafficker or others about how to answer questions
Individual loss of control of documents during any stage of the trafficking process or unexpected and excessive fees imposed during the trafficking process

Indicators of coercion:

Confiscation of identity and travel documents
Threats made to individual or family of individual
Controlling boss or work site
Victim is not allowed to speak for themselves or ask questions
Individual shows signs of fear, extreme nervousness
Individual not allowed a personal bank account
Individual is not allowed to plan activities
Individual is not allowed to make phone calls
Individual has not agreed to type of work forced to perform but has been coerced
Individual does not know their age or where they are presently living
Individual does not want to tell interviewer what country they are from
Individual does not want to tell interviewer if they have children
Individual does not want to answer questions in general
Individual appears to be despondent, responds with anger or has a negative attitude

How are victims located?

You may encounter victims through the course of investigation of other crimes or in the course of your job. You will need to watch for subtle clues as well as obvious signs of human trafficking. For example, advertisers such as “Craig’s List” and other forms of commercial sex advertisements, or advertisements for modeling, photographers, travel tourism, agricultural work, nannies, domestic servants, etc are often open to investigators.

You may find victims during a routine traffic stop. Traffickers often use large white vans with dark tinted windows, or you may be involved in a drug, or a brothel “raid” of an establishment.

Think about where victims might be allowed to go. Look at prior cases. Victims may go to a department store, (Wal-Mart), to Church, to the grocery store, the pharmacy, the gas station, rest stops, ethnic and fast food, libraries (making copies of false identification). Victims may be at the park watching the children of their employers and may not show outward signs that they are being abuse, but like domestic violence, may reach out to speak to someone there. Victims could also be hidden in the back of establishments or underground laboring in retail establishments such as diamond stores, leather shops, department stores or specialty shops, hair and nail salons and at flea markets.

Carry small information cards, or contact numbers, (small) in the local language of the neighborhood, or in several languages and be prepared to hand one to someone you think may be in danger or enslaved. Be careful not to get the attention of onlookers or employers who could retaliate against the victim after you are gone.

Also, look at the following categories to see some of the recent trends in identification of victims using uncommon methods, organizations and people:

Newspaper and Media Advertisements

Local newspaper advertisements are often conduits to human trafficking. Advertisements for nannies, maids, modeling, dancing, travel tourism, hotel or resort temporary work, trade shows, magazine sales, migrant work, agricultural farming, day labor, mail-order bride, Craig’s List and other internet sources for massage parlor, escort or adult services, etc.

Labor Inspections

Other areas for consideration include regulatory systems for labor such as systems that can act as checks and balances for employers who exploit migrant labor or the labor of citizens. Routine labor inspections may reveal indicators of violence related to human trafficking that could be further explored by law enforcement. Some of those indicators may prove to be the result of force, fraud or coercion, elements of human trafficking.

Law enforcement should investigate the following scenarios as indicated to improve in proactive investigations.

Code Enforcement Inspections/ Housing Inspectors

Code Enforcement have the opportunity to investigate potential human trafficking schemes more easily than local law enforcement because Code Enforcers and Housing Inspectors do not need a warrant to enter property due to the nature of their job. Therefore, NGO’s can work with these agencies to survey a potential case. Inspectors trained in human trafficking have been very helpful in assisting a Florida NGO with potential trafficking cases. [4]

Cable and DSL Internet Installers

Additional organizations that have access to property which may be havens for human trafficking are service employees such as cable television installers, computer service installers of DSL lines and computer repair employees. Training of these valuable workers can help employees to identify potential trafficking schemes. The local police should have regular contact with staff from these untapped and valuable organizations. [5]

Evidence

The elements of human trafficking crime according to the TVPA are force, fraud, coercion.

Forms of evidence:

Documentation
Labor employment contracts
Medical records
Photographs
Witness testimony
Victim testimony
Physical bruises or wounds
Cell phone storage messages
Phone Bills
Bank Statements, Tax information (IRS)
Credit Card Bills
Utility Bills

Signs of Potential Human Trafficking Hot spots

Example: Busy areas with people coming and going in a place that does not or should not warrant that amount of traffic such as a hair salon, barber shop, retail store, smoke shop, lingerie shop, massage parlor, bookstore or magazine, newspaper shop, back door or bar when there are not a lot of patrons cars in the front, a neighborhood visitor that never seems to leave, or that just doesn’t seem right, etc..

There are many types of human trafficking; therefore it can happen just about anywhere. The key thing to remember is that it is not so much in the location, as that would be like finding a needle in a haystack, but instead, in looking at a situation a bit differently, with another set of eyeglasses. Trafficking in persons may be a hidden crime or it may be blatantly out in the open if you know what to look for. Developing an instinct for closer observation will help you identify more cases and assist more potential or actual victims of this crime.

Additional United States Federal and State Laws – Prosecution

The following list represents some additional federal, state and municipal laws to supplement the TVPA or that may be used in place of the TVPA for the prosecution.

• PROTECT ACT: Foreign Sex tourism
• RICO ACT- Racketeering Influenced and Corrupt Organizations; Organized crime, Money laundering, asset forfeiture; Conspiracy to commit, etc.
• The Mann Act: Transportation of an adult or a minor for prostitution (interstate commerce)
• Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA)
• Migrant and Seasonal Agricultural Workers Protection Act
• Immigration Law- Fraudulent Document Offenses
• Labor violations (DOL)
• Tax evasion Laws (IRS)
• Code Enforcement Laws (Local)
• Kidnapping
• Sexual abuse of a minor
• Prostitution
• Conspiracy
• Aiding and abetting
• human smuggling
• Visa fraud and other forms of fraud: Economic Crime

Other state and federal laws

· The U.S. Attorney’s Office (federal) or the State District Attorney (state laws) is responsible for the investigation and the prosecution of human trafficking crime. However, it is helpful if the police officer who identifies a victim of human trafficking gather as much evidence as possible in the early stages after the initial identification of the victim. Therefore, the initial and subsequent interview or interviews with the victim and the relationship with the NGO is important to establish the basis of the case and begin to obtain evidence to present to the Attorney. Many Attorneys will not take a case if there is not enough evidence at the outset to succeed in bringing a prosecution. Therefore, it is important that the police officer and NGO work together especially in the early stages, but throughout the process, to ensure that the victim has an opportunity for a legal remedy, if that is what is chosen.

· Law enforcement (trained) should have a general understanding about anti-trafficking federal, state and local laws.

Sample Interview Questions

· denotes- depending upon the situation and the point of contact with potential victim (questions are based upon the assumption that this is a potential victim)

• Some concerns have been brought to my attention and I thought maybe you may want to talk about something?
• Are you ok? Hurt?
• What is your name? Age ? (If appropriate)
• Is there anyone controlling you, your decisions?
• Can you come and go as you please?
• Do you have a job? How many hours a week do you work? Overtime, weekends?
• Do you have any breaks? What do you do on breaks?
• Do you have an employment contract? How did you hear about the job?
• Do you receive a salary for your work? Do you owe anyone any money?
• Is your pay ever withheld from you? Why?
• Do you have any identification? * Are you a U.S. citizen? *
• If not a national, ask what country they are from? *
• Do you have a passport? Is someone holding it for you? *Did you take an airplane here? When?
• Do you have an apartment? Home? Are there other people with you? Do you know all of the people at the house?
• Does anyone ever hit you? Beatings? Scars?
• Are you afraid of anyone? Who? Why?
• Has anyone ever threatened your life or your employment? Anyone ever threaten your family or threatened you to hurt your family? Who, Why?
• Do you have children?* Do they live with you? Go to school?*
• Do you send home money? How much and how often?
• Do you ever go out? Do you ever travel? Where? When? Out of the country? Etc.
• Are there bars on your windows? Do you have a house key? Etc.
• Do you have any friends?
• Have you been to the doctor for a check-up recently? Eye doctor? Clinic?
• Have you bought any new clothing? Who paid for it?
• Do you have a debt that you owe your employer?
• If not a U.S. citizen, follow the appropriate line of questioning to determine for human smuggling? Etc.*
• Is there anyone whom you wish to speak with? Do you have a cell phone? Do you have access to a telephone? How often can you use the telephone? Are you alone or does someone guard you? Who? What does he/ she look like? Are you afraid of them?
• Are there any fences surrounding your property? Are the fences or gates locked? Do you have a key? Etc.*
• Is there some other form of work that you want to do?
• Were you promised a job? Was it what you expected?
• Is there anything else that you are concerned about and would like to ask me?
• Do you want us to help you? What would you like us to do?
• Do you think that a crime has been committed against you?
• Do you know what your rights are?
• Would you like to leave this situation? Stay? Why?

Contact Information

National
Trafficking Information and Referral 24 hour Hotline (DOJ)
1.888.3737.888 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 1.888.3737.888 end_of_the_skype_highlighting

National Center for Missing and Exploited Children
1-800-THE-LOST begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 1-800-THE-LOST end_of_the_skype_highlighting or 1-800-843-5678 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 1-800-843-5678 end_of_the_skype_highlighting (24 hour)
http://www.missingkids.com/
Callers without access to U.S. toll free system may dial:
001-703-522-9320 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 001-703-522-9320 end_of_the_skype_highlighting

National Child Pornography Tip-Line
1-800-843-5678 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 1-800-843-5678 end_of_the_skype_highlighting or
To Report child sexual exploitation
http://www.cybertipline.com/
To Report a Case of Forced Labor, contact the Trafficking in Persons and Worker Exploitation Complaint Line, Free of charge
1-888-428-7581 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 1-888-428-7581 end_of_the_skype_highlighting
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB)
Migration & Refugee Services
202-541-3366 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 202-541-3366 end_of_the_skype_highlighting
http://www.usccb.org/mrs/traffickingweb.html

Local
Boston District for the U.S. Department of Labor (Wage and Hour Division)
To report and file Complaints for labor violations
617-624-6700 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 617-624-6700 end_of_the_skype_highlighting
http://www.dol.gov/esa/whd/ OR
Boston District Office, DOL
JFK Building / ESA (Wage and Hour Division)
Room 525,
Boston, Ma. 02203
1-866-487-9243 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 1-866-487-9243 end_of_the_skype_highlighting

Taunton, Ma. (Wage and Hour Division)
1-866-487-9243 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 1-866-487-9243 end_of_the_skype_highlighting

Boston Police Human Trafficking Unit
617-343-5783 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 617-343-5783 end_of_the_skype_highlighting
Sgt. Detective. Donna Gavin
Boston Crimes against Children Unit
617-343-6183 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 617-343-6183 end_of_the_skype_highlighting

Boston F.B.I: Special Agent Steven Vienneau, Innocence Lost Task Force
617-223-6228 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 617-223-6228 end_of_the_skype_highlighting; email mhtml:file://C:\Users\Paul\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\Temporary%20Internet%20Files\Content.MSO\WordWebPagePreview\CDD6F883.mht!x-usc:mailto:Steven.Vienneau@ic.fbi.gov

Massachusetts State Police Pi Heseltine
Pi.heseltine@pol.state.ma.us

I.C.E.: Supervisory Special Agent Henry Basile
617.565.4900 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 617.565.4900 end_of_the_skype_highlighting

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) 24 Hour
1.866.347.2423 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 1.866.347.2423 end_of_the_skype_highlighting

Social Service Providers and Immigration Assistance

International Institute of Boston (IIB)
617-695-9990 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 617-695-9990 end_of_the_skype_highlighting email http://www.iiboston.org/

Project Reach (Dr. Elizabeth Hopper) (For Trauma and psychological assistance)
617-731-3200 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 617-731-3200 end_of_the_skype_highlighting

Trafficking Victim Outreach Services (TVOS) Boston
617-448-0993 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 617-448-0993 end_of_the_skype_highlighting

S.E.E.N. Coalition: Susan Goldfarb
617.779.2100 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 617.779.2100 end_of_the_skype_highlighting

My Life My Choice: Lisa Goldblatt- Grace
617.699.4998 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 617.699.4998 end_of_the_skype_highlighting

Kim’sProject:617.779.2133email mhtml:file://C:\Users\Paul\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\Temporary%20Internet%20Files\Content.MSO\WordWebPagePreview\CDD6F883.mht!x-usc:mailto:kimsprojectfjc@yahoo.com

Copyright 2010
Human Rights Research and Training Publications
HRRTP is a non-profit organization
Website: https://hrrtp.wordpress.com/
Email: HumanRightsRTPublications@gmail.com

Human Trafficking in Heartland of Missouri

One woman who operates a shelter in northwest MO speaks out

Human traffickers find their victims through mail order bride websites and catalogs.

Many shelters house abused women and children. Some shelters receive victims that have been through worse. Human trafficking for commercial sex is one of the worst ways to treat a human being. I found one woman who works in a shelter in northwest Missouri who has helped trafficking victims who come in from third world countries.

“We have dealt with many cases where as the girls are brought in as mail-order brides, when they got here basically they were used for prostitution and pornographic purposes,” said Cheryl Leffler, who operates a women’s shelter in northwest Missouri for more then 10 years.

We’ve agreed to safeguard its location to protect its clients. But how does it come to this?

“They usually start with just written correspondence with them, and after they have pretended to be the perfect person they get the girls to trust them,” said Leffler.

Traffickers promise the world to potential victims and pay for their plane ticket to Kansas City. Traffickers then take them to their home, where the horrific experience begins.

“They had been traumatized. Their first sexual experience had basically been brutally raping them to get them under control,” states Leffler, “‘This is what’s going to happen to you if you don’t do what I tell you.’ They thoroughly believe these guys will kill them.”

Leffler told us of one woman’s experience, after being locked in a house she fled for her life once she saw an unlocked door. Running down the street, a local church member helped her and brought her to the shelter.

Rescuing victims doesn’t stop the cycle of trafficking.

Bringing trafficking victims into a shelter is only the first step. Leffler went on to tell me how she believes local law enforcement authorities are reluctant to help.

“We’ve had issues in rural Missouri that law enforcement are reluctant to believe these girls. They’re reluctant to help because they’re not us citizens,” quoted Leffler, “We sometimes deal with racial issues and they sometimes just don’t want to help them.”

Leffler also says Missourians in rural areas are reluctant to help as well.

“I think Missourians are definitely in denial,” she stated strongly, “We have a large population of immigrants in our area and I don’t think its an issue people want to think would happen in this area.”

Is there a profile of a trafficker? Most of those Leffler’s shelter has dealt with are middle aged white males, 40 to 60 years old. They’re isolated and are likely to be involved with drugs and alcohol.

 

If you sense something suspicious in your area contact the following-
Detective Jason Young (816) 325-7072
Detective Matt Fowler (816) 325-7255
TPWETF Hotline 1-888-428-7581

http://www.khqa.com/news/news_story.aspx?id=136730 see link for source of article