Читать книгу The True Story of Canadian Human Trafficking - Paul H Boge - Страница 7

introduction

Human trafficking happens every day in Canada. But many people do not recognize it or want to understand it or admit how frequently it occurs in our country. I myself could hardly believe the prevalence of human trafficking until my son Edward Riglin, a police officer, opened my eyes to what was really happening.

Young women and girls who service men with sex are often called “prostitutes.” Yet many are being prostituted and are victims of heinous crimes. Many had no idea that one day they would be forced to service men sexually and sold on the open market. Many live in fear of beatings or worse if they do not comply with the traffickers’ demands. Predators target and lure the vulnerable young, showering them with gifts and novel experiences, claiming to love them, promising to marry them. And the overriding allure is money: traffickers make $260,00 to $280,000 per victim per year.

Human trafficking is a dark, evil crime targeted at our youth. It is the modern-day slave trade.

As a teacher, I started to give seminars on how to protect children when they are on the internet. What I didn’t expect were the testimonies of many young girls who showed me their tattoos and told me they belonged to one of the traffickers whose identities were well-known. I was appalled at what was happening.

In response to these horrors, and with God’s grace, I went to Parliament to pass laws to combat this crime against our youth. At first, many MPs worked against my efforts to pass the laws to combat human trafficking. Why? Because they did not know about it. Yet, in time, these same people became champions in the fight against human trafficking.

Now, trafficking rings are being taken down every single day. I am grateful to our police forces at every level across this country. I commend them and the frontline workers, the NGOs, and most of all the survivors who have so courageously told their stories. They are real heroes.

Education is our greatest weapon against this crime. I am grateful to Castle Quay Books and to the author, Paul Boge, for taking up the cause to educate the public and publishing this book. It is the real story that needs to be told here in our country.

My hope is that The True Story of Canadian Human Trafficking will save young lives and reveal to Canadians human trafficking for what it is.

—Joy Smith