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Advocates say referrals to a Franklin County specialty docket for people arrested for sex work were down 50 percent in 2018, at least in part because of the suspension and eventual disbandment of the Columbus Division of Police’s Vice Unit.
The Ohio Department of Public Safety’s Office of Criminal Justice Services (OCJS) recently announced the results of a human trafficking study that analyzed the extent to which youth and young adults are exploited in Ohio. The study identified 1,032 juvenile human trafficking victims in Ohio between 2014 and 2016. Researchers also identified 4,209 youth who were at risk for trafficking victimization.
“We are hopeful that the findings of this study, an inventory of data capacity and tracking, will lead to the creation of tools and systems that will ultimately help identify and respond to victims of human trafficking,” Anderson said in a news release.
“Whether one self-identifies as a sex worker or is a victim of trafficking, I believe we can all agree that these individuals have rights,” said Sen. Kathleen Taylor (D-Milwaukie), who carried the bill on the Senate floor. “All humans, no matter their particular situation, are valuable and deserve safety and access to the justice system, as well as the resources that come with accessing that system.”
Ohio is getting a clearer picture on the number of victims of human trafficking. A new study from the University of Cincinnati identified 1,032 victims between 2014 and 2016 and another 4,209 individuals at risk of being trafficked during the same period.
An Ohio State student organization is working to educate the public about the human trafficking crisis shortly after an Ohio grant put the issue more in the public eye.
Why Us? Is a group founded to spread awareness of the severity of trafficking and its impact on college campuses.
The victims range in age from 12 to 66 years old, according to a news release from the Cuyahoga County, OH. Additionally, 227 individuals have been interviewed and given a referral for recovery services.
The county announced the statistics because the Collaborative to End Human Trafficking recently held its annual meeting, and the county wants to ensure the issue remains in the public’s eye.
Locally, on January 25th, End Slavery Cincinnati and The Salvation Army of Greater Cincinnati & Northern Kentucky will present the 2019 Anti-Human Trafficking Conference at the American Red Cross of Cincinnati. The conference will educate participants on improving the healthcare response to human trafficking, strategies to aid and provide legal services to survivors, and other topics within a selection of 12 workshops. There will also be a keynote address on advocacy delivered by a panel of human trafficking survivors.
“I think it was six years I’m in and out of cars right here on these streets of Akron, Ohio until one night I ended up on a street and I remember screaming out to God, kill me or save me but don’t let me live like this,” Angel said. God didn’t leave Angel in that world. She was found her when she was drug addicted and hopeless and sitting in prison. But she’s not in that place anymore.
A local website is facing backlash after attempting to be humorous about the foreclosure crisis and sex trafficking.
Finding new and innovative ways to combat the demand for purchased sex, raise awareness to this nationwide epidemic, and provide safe environments for victims.