Today, July 30, 2021, is the World Day Against Trafficking in Persons. Human trafficking is a criminal offence that involves the exploitation of a person through force, coercion, threat, fraud or deception, for the financial gain of the exploiter. Domestic Sex Trafficking, specifically, occurs when a person controls, manipulates and intimidates another person into providing sexual services where the money earned goes back to the trafficker. It is one of the fastest-growing crimes worldwide and it happens right here in Greater Sudbury.

GSPS is dedicated to a Survivor-centered approach incorporating crime prevention, education and increased awareness of reporting processes towards sexual violence, harassment and human trafficking. We work collaboratively with community partners to help survivors and potential victims of sexual violence and human trafficking with an emphasis on expanding education, providing enhanced training and conducting coordinated community engagement.

In April 2020, GSPS launched Project Empower, which is a program designed to be a Survivor-centered initiative incorporating crime prevention, education and increased awareness of reporting processes towards sexual violence, harassment and human trafficking. In keeping with Canada’s 2019-2024 National Strategy to Combat Human Trafficking, Project Empower is based on the pillars of prevention, partnerships and Survivor-empowerment to combat human trafficking through a survivor-centered, survivor-informed and gender-responsive lens.

Recently, multiple community partners have come together to discuss services available in Sudbury for Survivors of Human Trafficking. In September, Sudbury Women’s Centre and Sudbury and Area Victim Services will be forming a coalition for Human Trafficking that GSPS will be supporting and participating in.

Nearly 3/4 of human trafficking victims identified by Police are under the age of 25. It's very common for exploiters to attempt to lure young people through social media apps (i.e. Instagram, Snapchat). The GSPS is dedicated to speaking with and educating students on what Human Trafficking is, how it happens and how to recognize the signs. On July 6th, 2021, the government of Ontario announced Ontario’s Anti-Sex Trafficking Plan for School Boards: https://news.ontario.ca/en/backgrounder/1000466/ontarios-anti-sex-trafficking-plan-for-school-boards

The Greater Sudbury Police Service also supports Courage for Freedom’s #EradicateChallenge, which aims to end the buying and selling of children, boys and girls in Canada. Learn more about the Eradication Challenge: https://courageforfreedom.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/EradicateChallenge.pdf

#EndHumanTrafficking

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