NEWCASTLE – Human trafficking is a global crime where people are lured or forced to a country or destination for the purpose of exploitation.
Director of Crisis Centre in Newcastle, Mary Dobbie said human trafficking is extremely bad in South Africa and the public wasn’t aware of its magnitude because it occurred undercover.
Read: Paterson Street’s teen prostitute shame
“Children trafficking rates grow very high during the holiday season and parents are urged to be extra careful during this time.”
She explained social networking was a major problem in the country and was probably the main cause of human trafficking because children chatted online with people they didn’t know, causing them to become vulnerable.
Exploitation of victims of human trafficking include:
• Sex trafficking, which includes anything within the sex industry, prostitution, pornography, stripping or exotic dancing, touch-and-peep shows and escort services, that is forced.
• Trafficking for non-commercial sex purposes, which may include early marriage, forced marriage, arranged marriage, compensation marriage, transactional marriage, temporary marriage or marriage for childbearing.
• Maternity trafficking, which is forced impregnation, with the intent to exploit or sell the child after birth.
Related article: Newcastle Crisis Centre a place of safety for trafficking victims
• Illegal adoptions with the intent to exploit or sell the child.
• Forced labour and child labour, which may include domestic servitude, sweatshops, agricultural labour, construction labour or enforced enrolment in an armed force.
• Organ and body part trafficking, which is the forced removal and illegal sale of organs and body parts.
• Forced begging and participation in criminal activities.
Victims of human trafficking remain physically entrapped because they are either locked up or their documents were taken.
Victims can also be intimidated, shamed and threatened with deportation, imprisonment, starvation, degradation, isolation or blackmailing of family members.
“There is big money in human trafficking and a lot of corruption that goes with it. Currently there cases in our town which are still under investigation and cannot be disclosed however, we must not think that trafficking in persons is far away from home,” concluded Mrs Dobbie.
Also read: US human trafficking report blacklists Myanmar
