Modern Slavery News Round-Up

Human Trafficking Ring Leaders Arrested in Austin
Police say they arrested the "main pimps" from two human trafficking rings that authorities said forced women into prostitution and moved them around the nation. Two men and a woman who were working in two interconnected rings were arrested Thursday night in Austin. Police found four victims - two from Houston and two from Florida - who were being forced into prostitution, Austin police Lt. Jerry Gonzalez said. Two women - whom Round Rock police took to the hospital because of injuries - told officials that they had been kidnapped in Houston and taken to Austin for the purpose of prostitution and robbing potential "Johns" arrest records said.

In California, an Effort to Fight Human Trafficking
This November, California voters will decide on a ballot initiative that would strengthen penalties for those involved in the sex trafficking of women and children. The CASE Act - or Californians Against Sexual Exploitation - would make those cases easier to prosecute. And if it passes, those convicted of the crime would have to register as sex offenders, which they're not currently required to do. Los Angeles is a major hub for child sex trafficking in the state, though the LAPD does not give out numbers on how widespread the problem is because it is such an under-reported crime. 

Host Nations for Migrant Workers Inefficient in Fight Against Human Trafficking- Binay
Vice President Jejomar Binay on Tuesday said that host countries for migrant workers failed to protect migrant workers' deploring they lacked a strong legal framework to support labor and recruitment policy under international human rights standards. "Human trafficking and human smuggling or illegal recruitment flourish in part because destination countries do not complement the efforts of labor-sending countries at combating these twin evils in labor migration," Binay said in a speech he delivered at the 23rd Conference of the Presidents of Law Associations in Asia (POLA) held in Pasay City.

Republican and Democratic Conventions could spur sex trafficking experts?
The tens of thousands of people expected to attend the 2012 national political conventions may spur sex trafficking in the host cities. Advocates say the start of the Republican National Convention [last] Monday and the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte [this week] could create a corresponding increase in the number of workers who may be compelled involuntarily to perform commercial sexual acts, the Charlotte Observer reported.

Nefarious Screening Raises Complex Questions

This past Monday the historic Byrd Theater in Richmond hosted a screening of Nefarious: Merchant of Souls, put on by the Richmond Justice Initiative.  The movie traveled across the world while exploring the underworld of prostitution, ingrained with sex trafficking:  From the borders of Eastern Europe, to the heart of Southeast Asia, ending in Las Vegas, director Benjamin Nolot raises the difficult, and much debated, question: can commercial sex trafficking really end if prostitution still exists?  It is probably one of the most controversial, and complicated, questions in regards to human trafficking, but what Nefarious explored was how different countries approached this question.

Amsterdam is, of course, one of the most famous examples as prostitution has been legalized.  This decision was partly based on the idea that this would create a safer environment for girls in the lifestyle.  Nefarious raises doubts on the claim through interviews with former prostitutes and even a brothel owner.  Although prostitution was legalized, the owner still had a "panic button" within easy reach for a girl and one witness testified to most girls still having pimps.  Are these indicators of a truly safer environment?

Nolot brings stark contrast to his film by also focusing on Sweden, a country that has made the buying of sex illegal through the Law that Prohibits the Purchase of Sexual Services.  While this seems on track with many other parts of the world, Sweden broke ground with this law by not punishing the girl at all; they are offered assistance and services while the johns are given sentences that are the equivalent to a US felony.  While prostitution has not been eradicated in Sweden, it's government can say with confidence that after being in affect for over ten years, there has been no new recruitment into the commercial sex trade.

While there are many debates over how to "solve" prostitution, what is statistics, and movies like Nefarious, have made clear is that one can never assume a women in the commercial sex trade is not a victim of modern slavery.  These contrasts made by Nolot in his film raises the logical question of how the United States is working to identify and aid victims caught trapped in sex trafficking.

The most shocking finding?  The range in policy across the the country.  Washington State has been praised as one of the ground breakers in prostitution reform with revised laws that have increased the penalty for patronizing a prostitute, where a buyer could even have to register as a sex offender after multiple convictions. On the other hand, North Carolina's policy is identical across the board: from prostitute to pimp, everyone receives a misdemeanor.  In a world where domestic minor sex trafficking has been reported in all 50 states, the US cannot take the risk of ignoring these concerns.   Whether prostitutes are in the trade by choice should not be the main concern.  The reality is that human trafficking victims are held in slavery under the guise of prostitution and legislation must be reviewed in order to free them.

Do your part today and write your congressman or congresswomen and ask what your state is doing to protect those forced, coerced and tricked into commercial sex trafficking.

Interested in Nefarious? Buy the DVD here.