May 10, 2000 08:50am
House Action 'A Knight in Shining Armor' to Stop Sex Trafficking Of Women And Children, FRC Says
Source: Family Research Council
by: Company Press Release
(WASHINGTON) -- On Tuesday, the House of Representatives passed by voice vote H.R. 3244, the Trafficking Victims Protection Act, under the leadership of Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) and Rep. Sam Gejdenson (D-CT).
``Family Research Council commends the House of Representatives for passing legislation to deal with the growing international horror of sex trafficking,'' said Family Research Council (FRC) chief spokesperson Janet Parshall. ``Around the world, women and children are being forced into an international sex trade industry. The Trafficking Victims Protection Act seeks to protect those innocent individuals and crack down on anyone profiting from their exploitation.''
``The State Department estimates that over 50,000 women are trafficked into the United States alone each year, as the international sex industry is burgeoning around activities related to prostitution, pornography, sex tourism, rape, and slavery,'' Parshall said. ``Innocent women and young girls are being exploited and sexually abused within our own borders, and the international sex traffickers are making a profit from it.
H.R. 3244 seeks to bring these perpetrators to justice and offer protective status to victims who were coerced into the sex trade and can help us identify their traffickers.''
At a Capitol Hill press conference hosted by Rep. Chris Smith on Wednesday, FRC Foreign Policy Analyst Darren Logan called on the Senate and President Clinton to likewise approve H.R. 3244 to stop the sexual exploitation of women and children. ``Our government cannot stand idly by while innocent individuals are being used as sexual commodities.
The United States needs to be an international leader in stopping the horrific practice of sex trafficking by first cracking down on the practice within its own borders. At issue, is the fundamental principle of protecting the innocent.''
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