Assemblywoman Addie Russell, D-Theresa announced that legislation she sponsored that would help prevent human trafficking, strengthen protections for victims and increase penalties on traffickers passed the Assembly today (A.506). The bill is part of a legislative package cracking down on human trafficking in New York State.
“Human trafficking cannot be ignored – it is a tragic reality for too many families and children,” Russell said. “We are passing legislation in the Assembly to protect victims and increase awareness to help put an end to this horrific crime once and for all. We owe it to the brave victims who have suffered unimaginable physical and emotional trauma to support them on the road to recovery while holding their traffickers accountable.”
According to the New York State Office of Children and Family Services, 80 percent of identified human trafficking victims are female and over 50 percent are children, noted Assemblywoman Russell. Additionally, there are an estimated 100,000-300,000 U.S. children currently caught up in sex trafficking. Russell added that human trafficking continues to be a serious problem in New York State, with victims often being runaway and homeless youth, youth in the juvenile justice system, children with histories of being abused, children with disabilities and refugees and immigrants.
If you are uncertain if a child is a victim of trafficking, need additional services, support or referrals or have additional questions, you can call the National Human Trafficking Resource Center (NHTRC) at 1-888-373-7888 for free and confidential assistance.
