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Survivors to speak out against human trafficking

oneil.97@osu.edu

Published: Thursday, November 5, 2009

Updated: Thursday, November 5, 2009 18:11

Survivors of human trafficking, policemen and representatives of the Ohio Attorney General's office will be among those speaking at an event Saturday on human trafficking in Central Ohio.

"We're always trying to better the situations of women, and with this human trafficking in Ohio, we thought, ‘we just can't ignore this problem any longer,'" said Kimm Hrdlicka-Tigges, event chair. "You'll find out what's going on, why it is in Ohio and what can we do about it."

Sponsored by The Zonta Club of Columbus, a service organization dedicated to improving and advancing the status of women, the event will go from 9 to 11:30 a.m. at the Fawcett Center Alumni Room, with the doors opening to the public at 8:30 a.m.

"The people we have speaking are the people who are going to take the further step in explaining what's going on," Tigges said.

Speakers include Theresa Flores, a survivor of human trafficking,

Lt. Matt Warren from the State Highway Patrol, Dr. Jeffrey Barrows, the Executive Director of Gracehaven (a shelter and rehabilitation center for victims of trafficking) and Brent Currence from the Ohio Attorney General's Office.

Audience members will have a chance to ask speakers questions at the end. Admission is free, and seating is limited.

"It's a very serious problem, and we never just want to be the people who tell you about it and get you all up in a frenzy about it," Tigges said. "The purpose is to educate you about it, but secondly, to find out what we Buckeyes can do about it. If we all band together, we can stop this."  

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6 comments

Phil Cenedella
Sat Nov 7 2009 00:14
www.daytonhumantraffickingaccords.com
Barbara
Fri Nov 6 2009 12:27
There will always be a demand. Focusing on busting the johns instead of pimps makes as much sense as focusing on busting drug users instead of suppliers. Let's throw all the drug users in prison and see how many tax payers we have left to support the prison system. It's the pimps who are enslaving the prostitutes, not the johns. The issue is trafficking. The johns are not doing the trafficking - the pimps are.
Belts Breaking Bondage
Fri Nov 6 2009 10:49
I feel strongly you have to stop the demand if this issue is going to be eliminated. If there is no demand from "Johns" the pimps wouldn't be doing what their doing. Prosecute the John's and you'll eliminate the pimps as well.
Barbara
Fri Nov 6 2009 10:24
It's not the johns they need to focus on - it's the pimps. If a woman wants to have sex for money, that should be her business. However, if she is forced into the situation, that is unacceptable. If prostitution were legal, women (and men) who are forced into the business would feel freer to testify against those who forced them.
More policing isn't the answer
Fri Nov 6 2009 09:17
Just arresting people isn't the answer. It is a multi-faceted problem. The same guy can be arrested multiple times and even if he is jailed forever it is just as likely someone else will take his place. Plus there is a constant stream of kids who run away from bad home lives and then get seduced and picked up by pimps who isolate them from their natural supports and take over control of their world. What 13-16 year old girl is going to fight against that. Not many.
Bust the Johns
Fri Nov 6 2009 07:02
They could shut down the sex trafficking overnight just by busting the johns. That's where the money comes from that drives everything. Why don't they bust the johns? Tell them to get a girlfriend instead, that or a defense attorney.






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