Vidya Sethuraman
India Post News Service
Speakers at the ACom briefing on Feb 13 discussed the prevalence of sex trafficking in the US; how women and girls are often gaslighted or arrested by law enforcement when they find the courage to speak out; and the difficulty of prosecuting sex trafficking cases.
Courtney Litvak, a sex trafficking survivor, shared her experience at the event. She stated that she was a victim of sex trafficking at the age of 17 during high school, and was taken to multiple states over the past three years all starting at school.
She recalled that she was a senior in high school, preparing for college and planning her future, when she was drugged and sexually assaulted by an older man after a school event. She tried to report the incident to the school and relevant authorities, but received no effective protection.
Litvak pointed out that, according to the law, human trafficking cases involving minors do not require proof of coercion or duress to constitute a crime; however, in practice, victims often have to endure questioning and repeated interrogation. She described how, in the absence of institutional support, perpetrators use emotional manipulation and intimidation to isolate victims and reinforce the psychological pressure that “no one will believe you.” Many victims are not immediately aware that they are in a trafficking situation, nor are they able to escape the environment immediately.
Dr. Michele Goodwin, Professor of Constitutional Law and Global Health Policy, Georgetown University points out that the United States has a long history of institutional repression against victims of sexual assault.
She said that marital rape was once legal in the US, demonstrating that the legal system’s protection of women’s rights was not perfect from the beginning. She also questions whether the release of only a portion of the complete archives, including the names and images of some victims, could cause further harm to their privacy and dignity.
Jacquelyn Aluotto, Co-Founder and President of No Trafficking Zone stated that the global human trafficking industry is estimated to be worth $245 billion annually, representing a highly profitable yet relatively low-risk form of crime.
She pointed out that human trafficking exists in different “market models,” including street sexual exploitation, transnational trafficking through the modeling industry and visa systems, and the sexual trafficking of minors within schools. She explained that traffickers often use social networks among teenagers on campus for “peer recruitment,” using monetary rewards or so-called “referral fees” as incentives.
Also Read: British man charged with 56 sexual offences for repeatedly drugging, raping his ex-wife for years
