Tell Vermont to Make Human Trafficking Illegal

How We Won

May 04, 2011

After receivng letters from over 400 Change.org members, the Vermont House has agreed to Senate changes in a bill designed to crack down on human trafficking in the state. These will be the first Vermont law prohibiting human trafficking.

Thanks to all the Vermonters who supported thi campaign, both on Change.org and elsewhere.

Vermont is one of the few states without a law criminalizing human trafficking, which means victims often go un-identified and traffickers get away with slavery.

A report from the Vermont Attorney General's office found that while human trafficking data was very limited, there was a definite trafficking problem in Vermont. Over a quarter of the service providers surveyed claimed to have worked with people who would be considered human trafficking victims under the new law. However, most of the service providers surveyed said they were "not well informed or unaware" of human trafficking, indicating that some victims could be going un-identified. The report also noted a lack of public awareness and basic education about human trafficking, even among law enforcement and service providers. A law criminalizing human trafficking, especially one that provided resources for training and education, could help identify and aid victims.

If the Attorney General's recommendations are incorporated into the new law, the legislation would include human trafficking training for law enforcement and service provider organizations. It would also provide full immunity from prosecution for children 18 and involved in the commercial sex industry and limited immunity for people 18 to 23 years old. And finally, the law would include a civil right to action, allowing victims to sue their traffickers.

Tell Vermont lawmakers to criminalize human trafficking today!

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