Ontario can expect payoffs from putting more cash into prosecuting human traffickers, advocates say

Telling the story of how you were forced to have sex with strangers would be difficult under any circumstances, even more so inside a packed courtroom. However, in many human trafficking cases this is exactly what survivors are put through. The trauma is often exacerbated by lawyers questioning and probing every part of the story for cracks and holes. 

It can be demeaning, insulting and retraumatizing, but having someone across the courtroom who knows what you’ve been through can offer a bit of reassurance, and sometimes that’s all a survivor needs. 

The province of Ontario, with help from the federal government, is trying to make that support a reality in today’s justice system.

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Stronger supports for survivors through the court process could result in more convictions as well as less traumatic outcomes for human trafficking victims.

It’s a big issue for Peel, which has an extremely high incidence of sex trafficking. But it’s not clear how much of a $54-million crime fund just announced by Ottawa and Queen’s Park will help the region deal with a rapid uptick in cases.

Published on August 27, 2019 in The Pointer - Brampton