U.S. grants $4.75 million to fight human trafficking.

US Grants $4.75 Million To Fight Human Trafficking:

(RTTNews) - The U.S. government has announced an additional grant of $4.75 million to strengthen the fight against human trafficking in Haiti.

The grant will be disbursed to Catholic Relief Services, Free the Slaves, Heartland Alliance for Human Needs and Human Rights, International Association for Women Judges, International Organization for Migration, SHARE Institute/Survivors Connect, University of San Francisco Center for Law and Global Justice, and the Warnath Group LLC.
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The award of ten additional grants "signifies the United States' continued commitment to rule of law and the protection of children in Haiti as well as strengthening law enforcement responses against traffickers taking advantage of vulnerable persons in a post-disaster situation," the Department of State's Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons (G/TIP) said in a statement.

The grantees will work with local partners to help draft anti-trafficking legislation, support direct services for victims' recovery, and prevent human trafficking and gender-based violence in the internally displaced persons camps.

Additionally, grantees will increase the capacity of targeted law enforcement agencies to investigate and prosecute trafficking cases and social welfare agencies to recognize human trafficking and make referrals for services.

The 2010 Trafficking in Persons Report estimates that 225,000 children were enslaved before the massive earthquake that killed more than 200,000 people in that Caribbean nation in January last year.

Anti-trafficking experts were part of the emergency response and the planning to rebuild in Haiti. Following the earthquake, G/TIP funded nearly $1 million in new grants to respond to the heightened risk of trafficking of Haitian children.

It enabled the screening of children at all four designated border crossings between Haiti and the Dominican Republic. Children identified as suspected victims of trafficking are now registered, transferred into the care of the appropriate Haitian government agency and, when possible, reunified with their families.
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Home / International News / 2011 / January 2011 / January 24, 2011
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International crime groups spreading 'trafficking of Chinese women' in other counties.

January 24, 2011 - Beijing

A Chinese police officer has claimed there has been a rise in the number of women from his country being forced into prostitution abroad by international crime groups.

The China Daily quoted Chen Shiqu, Director of the Anti-Human Trafficking Office, which falls under the Ministry of Public Security, as saying that poor women from rural areas of China were being trafficked either for forced marriage or prostitution in different parts of the country, as also in Southeast Asia, Europe and Africa.

"There has been a growing trend for organized transnational human trafficking crime groups to target Chinese women for forced prostitution in foreign countries," the paper quoted Chen, as saying.

"Many of the trafficked women were cheated by criminal suspects under the guise of overseas study or high-paid jobs and then forced into prostitution," he added.

Citing statistics from Malaysian Police, Chan said that a total of 5,453 Chinese women suspected of engaging in prostitution were detained by the end of November last year.

The paper quoted statistics from Chen's office, as saying that Chinese police have cracked 9,165 trafficking cases and rescued 17,746 women since April 2009 when the Ministry of Public Security launched a special campaign.

Chan further said that there is an increasing need for more international cooperation as trafficking in other countries can involve various organized crime groups.

ANI





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Boston.com Your Town
Malden,Melrose
Clark introduces human trafficking legislation
January 24, 2011 10:17 AM
The following was submitted by the office of state Senator Katherine Clark:
Senator Katherine Clark joined with Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley and a coalition of Legislators, District Attorneys, law enforcement, and victim advocates to announce the filing of An Act Relative to the Commercial Exploitation of People, comprehensive legislation that would for the first time, establish human trafficking for sexual servitude or labor as a crime in Massachusetts.

Massachusetts is currently one of only five states in the country without human trafficking laws. The bill gives law enforcement the necessary tools to investigate and prosecute the crimes and attempts to address all three aspects of human trafficking – supply, demand, and victim services.

Human trafficking is considered the second largest and single fastest growing illegal industry in the world. Experts estimate that 27 million people are trafficked internationally and domestically, bringing in $32 billion annually.

“It is time for Massachusetts to address the serious crime of human trafficking that has claimed victims right in our senate district,” said Senator Clark. “This legislation will give law enforcement the necessary tools to combat this horrendous and exploitative crime.”

“This bill is one step toward combating the egregious crime of human trafficking, which is a fundamental issue of public safety and human rights in our Commonwealth,” said Attorney General Coakley. “Let there be no doubt – people of every background are victims of human trafficking across the world, in this country, and right in our own backyard. This bill sends a clear message that human trafficking is unacceptable in Massachusetts and will give law enforcement the tools to address it. I want to the legislators who support this proposal, my partners in law enforcement, the labor community, and those who advocate on behalf of victims, for their efforts and support on this important issue.”

The bill does three main things: creates two new crimes; creates an inter-agency task force; and amends penalties regarding existing statutes to address the demand side of human trafficking.

Specifically, An Act Relative to the Commercial Exploitation of People does the following:

Creates the crime of trafficking of persons for sexual servitude, which has a penalty of no more than 20 years in state prison;

Creates the crime of trafficking of persons for forced labor, which has a penalty of no more than 15 years in state prison;

Imposes higher penalties for those who exploit child victims under 18 years of age versus adult victims for both crimes (life or any term of years)

Imposes a minimum mandatory sentence of 10 years in prison for any second or subsequent offense of either crime;

Allows forfeiture of funds and enables funds to be paid to victims in any restitution order from the court;

Creates an inter-agency task force to study human trafficking that is led by the Attorney General; and


Bristol District Attorney C. Samuel Sutter, President of the
Massachusetts District Attorneys Association
Boston City

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This is very, very good news!!! Thanks, Critter, for posting these!!