I shall be working in London today at the CHASTE conference – 
Churches Alert to Sex Trafficking in Europe – where many authoritive speakers will give their valuable insights into this very topical and worrying issue.
I’m delighted that the Press Association is interviewing and filming CHASTE’S founder Dr Carrie Pemberton there at 8am, which means this story will feed through to all the national media, plus many more, it should help generate great coverage. I worked hard on getting them to bite on this, and am thrilled I was successful.
Here are some highlights from the conference, I think you will agree that it is pretty powerful stuff:
UK Government Perspective, Fiona Mactaggart MP (pic)
Scottish Perspective, Ann Hamilton, Glasgow Community and Safety Services
The US Perspective: Dr. Laura J Lederer (Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons, U.S. Department of State)
The European Perspective: Grainne Healy (European Women’s Lobby)
The Policing Challenge: Detective Chief Superintendent Richard Berry
Addressing Demand through Legislation: The example of Sweden:
Agneta Borg (Head of Prostitution Unit, Stockholm)
Sven-Gunnar Lidèn (Swedish Baptist Union)
George Joseph (CARITAS)
The Legal Challenge: Yasmin Waljee, (Lovells), Dan Boucher (CARE)
Changing Attitudes: UK Minister Vernon Coaker (Under Secretary of State for Crime Reduction)
The Not for Sale UK Initiative. Liturgies, Lobbying and Writing for Change: Revd Dr. Carrie Pemberton
The International Dimension, South Africa: Beatri Kruger (University of the Free State)
Sweden: Lars Back (Baltic Fem)
Update: It was a very successful conference and fascinating to hear the Swedish perspective on this. Do you know why legislation was introduced there to make it an offence to pay for sex? Because 48% of its government was made up of women. I shall write a follow-up post next week when I have more time, I’m researching some additional info on this subject.
*Child trafficking was mentioned briefly during the conference, very timely after news of the Romanian children who have been smuggled here and cruelly exploited and trained to steal. Vernon Coaker stated that dealing with child trafficking was a problem, but I didn’t know about this story until I bought a copy of the Evening Standard after the conference where it was splashed across the front page. And it was in Fiona Mactaggart’s constituency of Slough.
its a huge problem that is a billion dollar industry.
I listened to an ABC report on it and they interviewed a lady who has written a book on the subject (she was a former worker).
I was shocked to hear just how they were treated (like cattle).
Her name escapes me but she was one incredible person!
well done you Ellee – will be interested to hear how it goes.
Nearly spilt my coffee! You’re into sex trafficking?
Will they be sending East European back home in shame to warn others of the dangers of trafficking!?!
Bon courage Ellee.
[…] My sex trafficking conference today […]
Looking forward to the follow-up post.