To the Editor:
Re “Massage-Parlor Sting Unveils Thriving Trade of Human Trafficking” (news article, Feb. 24):
The sting operation that led to the disruption of a sex-trafficking ring in South Florida, and to criminal charges against some high-profile customers, is exceptional because it reflects a cultural shift and a fundamental change in law enforcement’s approach to prostitution investigations.
From the perceptive health inspector to the Martin County sheriff, who witnessed the deplorable living conditions and took immediate steps to open an investigation into suspected debt bondage, the effort recognizes that prostitution is not a victimless crime.
The commercial sex industry survives only because of consumer demand. As a former New York State judge who spearheaded the effort to open the state’s Human Trafficking Intervention Courts and as the current head of a nonprofit dedicated to eradicating gender violence, I applaud law enforcement for severing this monstrous operation at the root: targeting the sex buyers who perpetuate the brutal cycle of abuse and exploitation of vulnerable women.
Judy Harris Kluger
New York
The writer is executive director of Sanctuary for Families.
Source: Read Full Article
Home » Analysis & Comment » Opinion | A Victory Against Sex Slavery
Opinion | A Victory Against Sex Slavery
To the Editor:
Re “Massage-Parlor Sting Unveils Thriving Trade of Human Trafficking” (news article, Feb. 24):
The sting operation that led to the disruption of a sex-trafficking ring in South Florida, and to criminal charges against some high-profile customers, is exceptional because it reflects a cultural shift and a fundamental change in law enforcement’s approach to prostitution investigations.
From the perceptive health inspector to the Martin County sheriff, who witnessed the deplorable living conditions and took immediate steps to open an investigation into suspected debt bondage, the effort recognizes that prostitution is not a victimless crime.
The commercial sex industry survives only because of consumer demand. As a former New York State judge who spearheaded the effort to open the state’s Human Trafficking Intervention Courts and as the current head of a nonprofit dedicated to eradicating gender violence, I applaud law enforcement for severing this monstrous operation at the root: targeting the sex buyers who perpetuate the brutal cycle of abuse and exploitation of vulnerable women.
Judy Harris Kluger
New York
The writer is executive director of Sanctuary for Families.
Source: Read Full Article