Anna (not her real name), an orphan, was 12 when she was brought to the UK on a "holiday" from West Africa. Within days of arriving, she was forced into domestic slavery. Unbelievably, neither the people that trafficked Anna to the UK nor the family that abused her for years were punished for what they did.
Under current UK legislation, too many victims like Anna have been denied the protections they so desperately need.
In 2011, there were only eight convictions under UK human trafficking legislation.* Yet there are thousands of victims discovered each year, and hundreds of these are children.
The Government has announced a new bill addressing modern slavery, which includes the positive step of establishing an Anti-Trafficking Commissioner, however, the bill doesn't go far enough. We are calling for the Modern Slavery Bill to include:
- Measures to protect and assist all victims, including the creation of a system of legal guardianship to provide vulnerable children with an independent professional to fight for their rights;
- The creation of a specific crime of child trafficking and exploitation to reflect the severity of this abuse of children and convict more offenders;
- Legal protection for victims so they are not imprisoned for crimes they were forced to commit by their traffickers.
Child trafficking must be stopped but we need your help. Please ask the Home Secretary to include these measures to protect children in the Modern Slavery Bill.
*Official UK government data from 2011
To the Right Honorable Mrs Theresa May MP,
I welcome the recent publication of the UK Modern Slavery Bill, specifically that this would lead to the establishment of an Anti-Slavery Commissioner.
However I am concerned that the Bill doesn't go far enough to help end child trafficking. Please ensure the Modern Slavery Bill includes the following provisions to prevent this crime, prosecute criminals and protect children.
- Measures to protect and assist all victims, including the creation of a system of legal guardianship to provide vulnerable children with an independent professional to fight for their rights;
- The creation of a specific crime of child trafficking and exploitation to reflect the severity of this abuse of children and convict more offenders;
- Legal protection for victims so they are not imprisoned for crimes they were forced to commit by their traffickers.
Children are targeted by traffickers because they are inherently vulnerable, easy to control and groom, and because they are less likely to fight back or report a crime against them. This should be reflected in the law.
[Your comments here]
Now is the time to act to end child trafficking in the UK.
Sincerely,
[Your name here]
