Sex trafficking in Canada is a national crisis. 3 survivors tell their stories
Trafficked Voices shows how human cargo is moved through a complex, highly effective network
Human trafficking for sexual exploitation is a national crisis in Canada.
To some, people are seen as commodities, and as a result human trafficking is one of the fastest-growing crimes in this country. Trafficked individuals can be any age, but according to some reports, the average age of victims is 17, and some have been reported as young as 14. Women and girls who are Indigenous, in care, homeless, refugees, migrants or LGBTQ are often cited as the most vulnerable, but anyone is at risk
For the victims who get caught in this web, it's a form of slavery. For the criminals who exploit them, it's a lucrative business enterprise, all from the sale of human beings for sexual exploitation.
Trafficked Voices tells the stories of Canadian-born women who survived this horrific trade. One Indigenous woman tells her own awful story of being kidnapped from a party at 14 and trafficked on ships on the Great Lakes for several months before making a dramatic escape.
The mother of another Indigenous woman, who was trafficked as a teen, has prepared herself for a grim outcome although her daughter is still alive. The mother, a member of Wasauksing First Nation, says there's only one fate for her daughter, who's been working as an escort and has addiction issues rooted in her traumatic experience.
A third survivor describes in detail her daily life as a trafficked woman and how she became physically and psychologically dependent on her trafficker.
These victims are treated like cargo, moved quickly by car and through airports across Canada. They're lured, groomed and "Romeo-ed" from their homes and schoolyards by a highly effective, complex network of pimps and handlers. Trafficked Voices is a testament to these women's stories, but also a tale of human resilience.
After months of being held prisoner aboard ships or after brutal 18-hour "working days" in hotel rooms, these brave survivors are taking back their lives — and their voices.
