Covenant House Vancouver

One Is Too Many: A Citizens' Summit on
Human Trafficking at the 2010 Olympics and Beyond

Simon Fraser University, Vancouver, BC
May 1, 2009

THE ISSUE AND IMPACT OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING ON YOUTH

Presented by Sister Nancy Brown, SC
Covenant House Vancouver

Covenant House is committed to the struggle to rescue and provide sanctuary for victims of human trafficking at our 20 sites across the United States, Canada, Mexico, Honduras and Nicaragua. Last year, Covenant House served over 70,000 homeless youth - the majority had been solicited on the street or muscled into the sex industry. Covenant House is committed to work with local task forces in collaborative efforts to combat human trafficking. (www.covenanthouse.org )

This past week, I had the opportunity to speak to one of our residents who has exited the sex industry in Toronto and came to Vancouver to start a new life. She stated that this slavery is never voluntary as the girls are never told the whole truth; there is tremendous deception, mind control and extreme manipulation. She related ---- if you look into their eyes, they are dead - no life or emotion, turned into zombies by the pimps and johns. Her plea to the government was to de-legalize the body rubs and strip clubs as they are destroying very young lives. Lastly she said --- go to the internet "review sites" called, she thought, PERB in Vancouver. It is a marketing tool for underage prostitutes by pimps.

Time and time again we witness sex traffickers targeting children because of their vulnerability and gullibility as well as the twisted market demand for young victims. Despite the denial of many Canadians, it is happening right here in our country, our province, our city, our neighbourhood and even perhaps in our homes as illustrated in the following examples:

a. Recently, Mr. Henwood from Victoria BC is charged of assaulting a prostituted woman when he allegedly lured a 14 year old girl from BC Interior using the Internet. He is charged with assault, unlawful confinement and uttering threats, procuring a minor, living off the avails of prostitution of a person under the age of 18, compelling a teenager to engage in prostitution and threatening violence, intimidation and coercion. (www.slaverymap.org)  He also pleaded guilty to beating an 18 year old sex trade worker with a field hockey stick.

b. In Brampton, Ontario - May 2008 - Mr. Nakpamki was convicted of human trafficking and living off the avails of prostitution of a 15 years old homeless girl who was bought and sold through Craigslist in Toronto. He admitted in court to have made over $360,000 selling two underage girls for sex. (www.slaverymap.org)

c. In Gatineau, Ontario - Aug. 2008 - Emerson was charged in connection with crimes involving several victims between 15 and 20 years of age; Emerson has charged with several charges including living off the avails of an underage prostitute; extortion and exercising control; attempting to procure someone under the age of 18 for prostitution; and procuring someone under 18 for prostitution. (www.slaverymap.org)

d. In Montreal, Quebec - November, 2008 Michael Mark pleaded guilty to trafficking a 17 year old and procuring 3 other; one under 18 to become prostitutes. (MP Wants Stiffer Penalties for Trafficking Kids T. Cherry, Toronto Sun, Jan. 29, 2009)

e. In Victoria, BC - Albert Quinones charged for abducting a person under 14 years of age, obstructing police, luring a 12 year old using internet, possession of child pornography and sexual interference with a person under 14. (Vancouver Sun, March, 2009)

f. There are several cases in courts in the Toronto/Peel area involving girls 14 years of age who have been moved from Halifax and Montreal.

These are only a few examples and there are many more that will never get to court. We are aware of trafficking rings where aboriginal girls and others are being trafficked throughout our province, to other provinces and into the USA. According to a Criminal Intelligence Service of Canada (CISC) strategic intelligence brief entitled Organized Crime and Domestic Trafficking in Persons in Canada (August, 2008) underage girls as young as 12 years old are being subjected to sexual exploitation by traffickers. Numerous studies indicate that as many as 80% of women in prostitution entered the trade well before they turned 18. In USA and Canada, the average age of entry is 14 and getting younger because the traffickers fear AIDS.

Gandhi stated "the best test of a civilized society is the way in which it treats its most vulnerable and weakest members." The humanity of our country is in direct relationship to the treatment and care of our most vulnerable members. Human traffickers are targeting our most vulnerable members = our young teenagers especially those who are struggling with poverty, homelessness, mental illness and addiction. What a complete imbalance of power! Unlike drug trafficking, the victims of sex trafficking are used over and over before being discarded as useless. Our Canadian youth are used as commodities - Objects for profit! Their human goodness and dignity is destroyed. How can, we, the Canadian people, stand by and watch their innocent lives being destroyed because of the sexual pleasure and profit of a few adults?

The victims of human trafficking are getting younger and younger. Unless there are pro-active interventions at an early age, we will never change violence against children in our society. Exploitation of children causes irreversible physical, psychological and social harm that can last a lifetime. This oppression is destroying our children, robbing them of their childhood. How can we stand by and let this happen to more and more children today? If it is happening to one child, it is one child too many!

We, at Covenant House, hear many stories of sexual exploitation that are not reported to police because many homeless adolescent and young people hesitate to report because of their lack of trust in law enforcement. With the high prevalence of Gang Wars in this area, they are threatened into silence. Adults, who have been entrusted with the protection of children, need to break the silence & stop the cycle of violence and oppression of children. We, their protectors, are letting our children down when even one child is trapped in this grave oppression and controlled by intimidation and threats.

Globally, it is estimated that 2 million children are trafficked annually. Locally, it is impossible to get an exact number of trafficked victims because it is an underground industry and the victims are paralysed into silence by fear and intimidation.

The sexual exploitation of children is a crime in every country and is forbidden by international law and agreements including the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, yet it continues to happen in brothels, message parlours, on the streets and in private homes! Why?? As Victor Malarek states in his recent book, The Johns: Sex For Sale And The Men Who Buy It "what we are witnessing today is nothing less than international sexual terrorism against women and children at the hands of men and little is being done to stop the carnage." (Page xiii) He calls us to target the johns, to abandon the fantasy of legalization, to change societal attitudes, to start young, to educate boys, to enforce the law and to provide women with the only avenue of escape = a real job.

To effect change, we must stop the demand.

First, I call on the parliament of Canada to follow the model of Sweden. Criminalize the traffickers, pimps and pornographers as well as corrupt officers who take bribes or turn a blind eye to the reality of exploitation. Do not criminalize the victims but provide resources for them as we have done in Canada for the victims of domestic abuse.

Secondly, I call on the parliament of Canada not to legalize prostitution. Legalizing prostitution in Canada will directly increase the size and the demand for sex trafficking as well as cause an increase in trafficking into Canada. One example: Victoria, Australia ----- in 1994 prostitution was legalized which led to a massive increase in the sex industry and trafficking into the country.
Legalization has led to dramatic increase in all facets of the sex industry in other countries as well ------ Netherlands, New Zealand, Germany and the state of Nevada.

Thirdly, I call on the parliament of Canada to protect underage victims who are unable to care for themselves, by provide them with appropriate services to exit safely.

Collaborate with us in the implementation of the recommendations contained in this DECLARATION. Let's move these words into action.

Help us to return human dignity and respect to all our youth by eliminating this tragic slavery of children ---- this must become a leading national priority as one child sexually exploited is one too many in our country.
I speak on behalf of the silenced homeless street youth in Canada

Alone, angry, isolated, disconnected from family and friends through neglect and abuse, our youth desperately need alternatives to the streets. Our efforts need to be heightened to ensure safety and sanctuary for homeless youth, before they are solicited, lured or kidnapped by pimps, dealers and gangs, who steal them for profit, then throw them away.

One exploited youth is one youth too many in Canada.

References:

http://www.oneistoomanysummit.info Declaration: One is Too Many: A Citizens' Summit on Human Trafficking at the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Games and Beyond

http://www.ecpat.net Global Monitoring: Report on the status of action against commercial sexual exploitation of children. Canada

http://gvnet.com/humantrafficking/canada.htm Human Trafficking & Modern-day Slavery

http://faculty.law.ubc.ca/perrin Bill C-268: Minimum Sentences for Child Trafficking Needed - Prof. Benjamin Perrin, February 25, 2009

Human Trafficking a growing problem in Canada, BC Expert Says - CBC News: October 28, 2008

BC to Lead Canada in Training Experts to Deal with Human Trafficking Cases. by Camille Bains, The Canadian Press January 26, 2009

Flesh Trade Targets Natives: Young Aboriginal Women used as a Sex Commodity in Cities across Canada by Tamara Cherry

Does legalizing Prostitution Work? by Heleen Mees. January 13, 2009

Sex Slaves find Hope: Craigslist introduces Measure to crack down on Human Trafficking - but only in America by Tamara Cherry, Sun Media, November 9, 2008

Ten Reasons for Not Legalizing Prostitution and a Legal Response to the Demand for Prostitution by Janice G. Raymond, page 315 - Prostitution, Trafficking and Traumatic Stress: Melissa Farley, editor