Last Updated: February 17, 2011 7:41pm
TORONTO -- Ontario's putting up a $2 million roadblock to stop human trafficking.
"I want to say thanks to all those ... who have recognized human trafficking is a scourge on our society, who have recognized that human trafficking is the modern form of slavery," Attorney General Chris Bentley said Thursday.
Bentley, along with two cabinet colleagues and a bevy of high-ranking police officers, including Toronto's Chief Bill Blair, announced nearly $2 million over three years in new funding for enforcement and education measures aimed at the $32-billion global flesh trade.
The money will go to a special intelligence-gathering operation by the Ontario Provincial Police, beefing up Peel police's vice squad and dedicating two Crown attorneys as human-trafficking specialists to help shepherd cases towards convictions.
"All of which will build in the work that is already being undertaken, and from which we will learn so that we can take further initiatives to address this insidious activity," Bentley said.
Police estimate there are hundreds, if not thousands, of women and children trafficked through Canada every year, with Pearson International Airport being a major hub.
Lured by organized gangs, human-trafficking victims are coerced into the sex trade. They are often in the country without official status or the ability to speak English, which helps prevent them from coming forward to police.
The trade in humans is believed to be the third-largest criminal enterprise in the world, behind arms dealing and drugs.
NDP justice critic Peter Kormos derided the announcement as "pathetic" and said the money would barely cover much beyond the salaries of the two dedicated Crown attorneys.
"To respond to the women who are victims of sexploitation, that's not much of a commitment from (Premier Dalton) McGuinty," Kormos said.
Source: .torontosun.com
TRAFFICKING MONITOR: Related article below:
Mississauga man arrested in alleged human-trafficking ring
TIMOTHY APPLEBY
From Saturday's Globe and Mail. Last updated
Police have made a second arrest in a sex-related human-trafficking investigation encompassing an alleged network of prostitutes, some of them juveniles, in different Southwestern Ontario jurisdictions.
David Mackay Stone, 24, of Mississauga was arrested Thursday on charges of gang sexual assault, aggravated sexual assault, human trafficking and unlawful confinement. He was to appear in court in Milton Friday for a bail hearing where prosecutors were expected to urge that he be held in custody.
In October, 25-year-old Aldain Alando Beckford of Milton was charged with a total of 12 offences stemming from the same investigation. They include aggravated sexual assault, human trafficking, living off the proceeds of juvenile prostitution and a variety of weapons offences. Mr. Beckford remains behind bars awaiting trial.
Thursday’s arrest coincided with an announcement by the Ontario government that it is committing just under $2-million over the next three years to support victims of human trafficking in the province. The money – scorned by opposition critics as paltry – will be spent on specialized prosecution in the shape of two dedicated Crown attorneys, a 24-hour crisis hot-line, intelligence-gathering by the Ontario Provincial Police and extra officers for the vice unit of Peel Regional Police.
With several police leaders on hand, including Toronto Police Chief Bill Blair, the initiative was outlined by Attorney-General Chris Bentley, who described human trafficking as “an appalling crime.”
Human trafficking takes numerous forms, from enforced prostitution to sweatshop labour, and the RCMP has estimated that up to 800 victims are brought into Canada each year by various means.
In this case, however, police believe the network allegedly run by Mr. Stone and Mr. Beckford was entirely a domestic prostitution operation, involving young women in Halton, Peel, Niagara, and the area in and around London. Detectives are also anxious to interview any victims who have so far not been identified.
“We want to make sure they’re doing it willingly, and if they’re not, we want them to contact us,” said Detective Sergeant Brad Cook of the Halton Regional Police child-abuse and sexual assault unit.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/toronto/mississauga-man-arrested-in-alleged-human-trafficking-ring/article1913180/?cmpid=rss1
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