Human Trafficking Cases Increased Six-Fold in Six Years
South Carolina Indictment of Three Mexican Nationals is the Latest
Human trafficking is often called modern day slavery. It often involves forced labor or forced sexual services of illegal immigrants. As the South Carolina case illustrates, human trafficking can happen anywhere. The DOJ is especially concerned with human sex trafficking, the forcing or coercing the victims to participate in prostitution. Of the approximately 20,000 people trafficked into the U.S. each year, many are women and children who are forced to participate in sex for money. If they receive any pay it is very little and the living conditions are deplorable.Often their captors will provide drugs to encourage addiction and a dependence upon the situation. Many of the victims are uninformed regarding the U.S. legal system and their rights, believing that to go to authorities will result in arrest, and that the traffickers will release them once their debt is "repaid".
According to a Civil Right's Division factsheet and the Attorney General's 2006 report on human trafficking, prosecution of individuals for all types of human trafficking is up 300% when comparing the last six fiscal years to the six years previous. In all but one of the last six years, more cases were filed for instances of sex trafficking than forced labor (sweatshops, indentured servitude). More than 2/3 of the cases filed in 2006, 22 out of 32, were related to sex trafficking. In 2001 only 10 cases were filed, of which 4 were due to forced prostitution. There were also more than four times the number of convictions overall won in 2006 than in 2001.
The three individuals in South Carolina, two men and one woman, were indicted last week on 20 counts of sex trafficking and related charges.. The defendants are charged with breaking federal law by conspiring to bring Mexican woman into South Carolina for prostitution. Related charges include harboring illegal aliens, a federal offense. They each face a maximum sentence of life in prison and a combined fine of over one million. At least one of the victims was a minor at only 14 years of age. Each defendant is presumed innocent as the indictment is only a formal accusation and statement of intent to bring to trial.
Sources:
http://www.usdoj.gov/opa/pr/2007/August/07_crt_643.html
http://www.usdoj.gov/opa/pr/2007/January/07_crt_061.html
http://www.usdoj.gov/olp/human_trafficking.htm
Published by Marissa Mason
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3 Comments
Post a Commenthow can people help stop this?
This is horrible news, but news that needs to get out there. Excellent reporting.
Thank you. This is a very serious issue. Since the victims are unable to escape (yes, sometimes they are physically restrained and/or under the threat of injury or death)they need help from outside sources. Further information is available from the United Nations, or do a google search to find organizations in your area.