In the United States, recent cases of abduction and forced prostitution have led to concerns that the legal system too often punishes victims of human trafficking. In an interview and corresponding article published by MSNBC in the United States, a girl who was a victim of human trafficking draws attention to the lack of prosecution for many perpetrators of trafficking and forced prostitution. The article also discusses how victims of human trafficking who are sold into prostitution are often punished for their participation in prostitution — a participation that is forced upon them. Marc Klaas, the founder of KlaasKids, an advocacy organization dedicated to exposing traffickers and helping victims and their families, comments on how young girls who are forced into sex work are often viewed as criminals.
According to the article, the girl and her family along with organizations such as KlaasKids are urging national legislation that would help protect and provide aid for victims of sex trafficking in the United States.
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Compiled from: Celizic, Mark, “Teen Recounts Horror of Abduction into Sex Slavery: Many young victims of traffickers treated as criminals themselves,” MSNBC.com, 9 October 2008.