Anti-Human Trafficking Strategy Will Protect Those at Risk in Halton – MPP Triantafilopoulos

$307 million invested to protect children and youth, crack down on offenders

March 6, 2020

Oakville North-Burlington – MPP Effie Triantafilopoulos today announced that Ontario Government is acting to protect children and youth, support survivors, raise awareness and hold offenders accountable through Ontario’s new anti-human trafficking strategy.

The government’s new, comprehensive five-year strategy will combat human trafficking and end child sexual exploitation across Ontario. The strategy will provide specific, ongoing supports to help survivors exit trafficking, heal from their trauma and rebuild their lives. We are doubling funding in community-based services for survivors and offering new supports focused on children and youth.

In October of 2019, the public learned from Halton Regional Police that in the previous 12 months, 72 separate human trafficking related charges were laid in Halton and 12 women were rescued as a result. 12 young women rescued from modern day slavery. Our new strategy will help strengthen enforcement by policy and our justice system to better support victims, find perpetrators, break up human trafficking networks and bring criminals to justice.

Quotes from Effie Triantafilopoulos MPP:

“Human traffickers prey on kids and vulnerable young people. The average age of recruitment into sex trafficking is 13 years old. We must help them escape from traffickers and help them rebuild their lives.”

“We know we have a problem with human trafficking – here in our own communities. I am proud that our government is doubling funding for community-based services for survivors and will provide more help for law enforcement to rescue survivors from human trafficking and exploitation.”

Quick Facts

• Human trafficking is one of the fastest-growing crimes worldwide. Approximately two-thirds of police-reported human trafficking violations in Canada occur in Ontario.
• Over 70 per cent of human trafficking victims identified by police are under the age of 25.
• Young women and girls are particularly at risk, especially those from Indigenous communities and children and youth in care, though boys, men and people who are LGBTQ are also targeted.