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By Robert W. Dalton
bob.dalton@shj.com
Published: Sunday, December 6, 2009 at 3:15 a.m.
Last Modified: Sunday, December 6, 2009 at 12:40 a.m.
It's a multibillion-dollar industry with thousands of units sold each year.
By the numbers
- It is estimated that at least 27 million people are enslaved around the world.
- About 800,000 people annually are trafficked across national borders. About 80 percent of these victims are women and girls, and up to 50 percent are minors. The majority of females are trafficked into commercial sexual exploitation.
- It is estimated that human trafficking is a $32 billion-a-year industry, making it the second most lucrative crime in the world, behind only the sale of drugs.
Every 10 minutes, a woman or child is trafficked into the U.S.
- Forced labor is most prevalent in five sectors of the U.S. economy: prostitution and sex services (46 percent); domestic service (27 percent); agriculture (10 percent); sweatshop/factory work (5 percent); and restaurant and hotel work (4 percent).
Source: Not for Sale
ON THE WEB
Not for Sale South Carolina: www.notforsalesc.org
The Polaris Project:
www.polarisproject.org
But it's not houses or cars that are being moved. The products are human beings.
Human trafficking victims are most often forced into prostitution. But they also are a source of cheap labor for sweat shops, farms and restaurants.
"There's a market, and that's the sad thing about it," state Rep. Harold Mitchell said. "A lot of people don't realize it's a problem, but it's something we need to nip quickly. We don't need to let it grow."
Mitchell, D-Spartanburg, has introduced a bill he hopes will do just that. If approved, the legislation would require a minimum sentence of five years and raise the maximum penalty to 30 years -- up from the current maximum of 15 years -- for anyone convicted of human trafficking.
Mitchell learned about the scope of the problem while attending the Clinton Global Initiative's annual conference in September. Founded by former President Bill Clinton in 2005, the initiative's goal is to partner governments with private-sector groups to confront pressing issues worldwide.
One of CGI's "commitments to action" is to halt human trafficking. Mitchell said he was happy to get on board.
"You can spend money and create programs, but I wanted to deal with it from a policy standpoint and see if we could make a dent in it," he said.
Mitchell's bill still might not be enough. The current law has been on the books since 2006, and the next human trafficking case tried in state court will be the first.
Seventh Circuit Solicitor Trey Gowdy said the problem of charging someone with human trafficking is twofold. First, law enforcement might not be aware that such a charge is an option. Second, suspects might be charged with other crimes, such as kidnapping, because the penalties are greater.
"If all (Mitchell's bill) does is raise awareness that it is either an issue or a potential issue and puts law enforcement on notice that while considering charges they have an additional arrow in their quiver, then it's a good thing," Gowdy said.
Maryse Gartner, the state director of Not For Sale South Carolina -- an organization whose mission is to raise awareness and assist law enforcement and victim's groups in combating human trafficking -- said the crime is largely underreported because people don't know what to watch for.
"People may see something fishy going on, but they don't know how to identify it or who to call," she said.
Gartner said the ribbon of interstates 26 and 85 that made the area a popular route for running drugs and guns between New York and Miami also make it attractive for human traffickers.
"It's just blossomed in the state because of where we are located," she said.
Gartner said many victims are Hispanic or Asian, but authorities are starting to see more Eastern Europeans.
But it's not just people from other countries who are victims of trafficking. U.S. citizens, especially runaways, also are susceptible. Anyone younger than 18 who is forced into prostitution is, according to the law, a trafficking victim.
Karen Stauss, legal counsel for the Polaris Project, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit that provides direct services to human trafficking survivors and assists law enforcement, said an estimated 100,000 children become trafficking victims in the U.S. each year. The hidden nature of the crime makes hard numbers difficult to come by, but she said trafficking has increased over the past 10 to 15 years because of globalization.
"People have the ability to cross borders," Stauss said. "They are seeking a better life, but it makes them more vulnerable. They don't know where to turn for help when people are exploiting them."
Stauss said more than 40 states have laws specifically dealing with human trafficking. About 95 percent of all trafficking cases are prosecuted at the state level.
"Local law enforcement are the eyes and ears," Stauss said. "For them to be engaged and understand what the crime is, we need to have that law on the books in states."
Gartner said it's important to raise awareness of trafficking "in all constituencies," including law enforcement.
"It's kind of like a dirty little secret," she said. "It's awful, and people don't want to think about it. But we have to make the general public aware."
Mitchell's bill is a good start, Gartner said.
"We're thrilled that he's realizing how important it is to increase the penalties. We're not going to be able to abate the problem without the traffickers realizing that we're not going to put up with it in this state," she said.
U.S. Attorney Walt Wilkins has prosecuted two human trafficking cases in South Carolina, one in Columbia and one in Greenville. Wilkins said the cases were "casually" connected.
Wilkins said putting together a trafficking case that results in a successful prosecution requires a great deal of law enforcement resources. Undercover work is nearly impossible because of language barriers and the tight ranks of the traffickers.
"Unless there's a tip, law enforcement is not going to know about it," Wilkins said. "It's very clandestine."
In the Columbia case, a 16-year-old Mexican girl was forced into prostitution. She was moved around to different brothels in several states and forced to see about 10 men a day.
She was able to slip away from her captors and call family in Mexico. Her family got in touch with authorities, who were able to find her by using a series of informants.
In the Greenville case, a john contracted a sexually transmitted disease. He told the nurse treating him the locations he had frequented and the nurse reported it. Law enforcement interviewed the john, who was willing to help.
Wilkins said another issue is what to do with the victims, who are breaking the law.
"If they are truly human trafficking victims, you don't want to incarcerate them," he said. "But you have to do something with them."
Gartner said trafficking victims often blame themselves for their circumstances.
"When law enforcement goes in to investigate, the victim will not identify as a trafficking victim," she said. "They may think they are responsible and may not understand that they've been abused and battered until after a conversation with a victim's advocate."
Wilkins has put together a coalition of victim's assistance groups -- Gartner is one of the members -- and law enforcement officials. Their goal is to have a process in place to deal with all aspects of a trafficking case.
"This is really a strong group that has gotten together," Wilkins said. "If another case comes along, we'll be prepared to handle all the issues that come up."
http://www.goupstate.com/article/20091206/ARTICLES/912061062/1083/ARTICLES?Title=Human-trafficking-A-dirty-little-secret-
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