Spreading awareness about human trafficking 

FRITZ MAYER
Posted 1/18/17

HONESDALE, PA — January is Human Trafficking Awareness Month, and Honesdale-based Victims Intervention Program (VIP) will host a community screening on the subject on January 26, at The …

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Spreading awareness about human trafficking 

Posted

HONESDALE, PA — January is Human Trafficking Awareness Month, and Honesdale-based Victims Intervention Program (VIP) will host a community screening on the subject on January 26, at The Cooperage. The film will begin at 5:30 p.m.


Michele Minor Wolf, executive director of VIP, talked to The River Reporter about the work of the center and the victims it aids. VIP serves just under 1,000 clients a year, including victims of domestic violence, sexual assault and other serious crimes. In recent years they have also been addressing and serving victims of human tracking. She said the cases of human trafficking that occur in Wayne County involve U.S. citizens trafficking other U.S. citizens.


While Wolf has been working in the sexual assault and domestic violence arena for many years, human trafficking came up on her radar just a few years ago. She said there is both sex human trafficking and labor human trafficking. Of the clients served by VIP, a slightly higher percentage have been victims of labor trafficking, which can occur in many different types of business, such as restaurants, nail salons, domestic services and agricultural operations.


She said a common misconception is that human trafficking always involves an abduction. Sometimes a victim is groomed by a relative and then trafficked.


Wolf said various cases are resolved in different ways. She said, “Abusers are not prosecuted as often as we would like. Often that’s because the victim doesn’t want to press charges; they’re afraid. With our domestic violence cases, the victims sometimes want something done, but there isn’t enough of a case to allow that.”


She said with human trafficking cases, “With trafficking right now, and the victims we’ve served are just so terrified, that prosecution really isn’t what’s on the forefront of their minds, although we would like to see those people put away.”


Pennsylvania in recent years has passed legislation meant to protect victims of human trafficking from being prosecuted for crimes such as prostitution or other related charges such as drug violations. Wolf said, “Traffickers get these girls addicted to drugs because it’s the ultimate form of control, especially with the heroin problem these days. You get somebody addicted to heroin, they aren’t going anywhere.”


The VIP phone number is 570/253-4401; the website is www.vipempowers.org. 

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