Distraught mother busts lid wide open on Argentinean human trafficking

By Catholic Online (NEWS CONSORTIUM)
2/18/2012
Catholic Online (www.catholic.org)

Disappearance of daughter prompted woman into activism

Tragedy can prompt people to do great things far beyond their limited sphere. A foremost example: Argentinean mother Susana Trimarco began a ceaseless search to find her daughter. In the process, she discovered how human trafficking rings operate, how they enjoy the apparent protection of the police -- and along the way, managed to help rescue 129 victims of forced prostitution.

Argentinean mother Susana Trimarco began a ceaseless search to find her daughter. In the process, she discovered how human trafficking rings operate, how they enjoy the apparent protection of the police -- and along the way, managed to help rescue 129 victims of forced prostitution.

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LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - Trimarco was granted the International Women of Courage Award by the U.S. State Department in 2007. In honor of her daughter, Trimarco later set up the Mar�a de Los Angeles Foundation to Combat Human Trafficking.

Ten long years after her disappearance, trial is set for the suspects in Mar�a de los �ngeles, "Marita" Ver�n got underway this month.

Seven men and six women are accused of having had contact with Ver�n in different brothels, based on the testimony of women rescued from the sex rings. All are charged with deprivation of liberty and promotion of prostitution.

It is hoped that clues will emerge in court about what ultimately happened to Ver�n.

The lawsuit filed by Trimarco helped press Congress to pass a law on prevention and punishment of trafficking in 2008, and boosted the creation of a national program to prevent and eradicate trafficking and provide support to victims.

"The only thing I want is to find Marita. My terrible suffering started for me when she disappeared," Trimarco testified in court this week.

Trimarco, accompanied by her 13-year-old granddaughter, Ver�n's daughter, discovered that Marita was sold to a brothel in the northwest province of La Rioja, and went there to try to find her in 2003.

Posing as a former prostitute seeking to recruit young women for a brothel, Trimarco visited houses of prostitution in La Rioja and other provinces in the northwest.

While prostitution is legal in this South American country, organized prostitution involving brothels, prostitution rings, or pimping remains illegal.

Along with her husband Daniel Ver�n, who died of a heart attack in 2010, Trimarco helped rescue a number of young women from Argentina and other countries that had been stripped of their legal documents, held against their will, forced into prostitution and cut off from their families.

She never found her daughter. Some of the young women who were rescued said they had seen Ver�n, drugged and haggard, holding a baby boy who was apparently fathered by a pimp. The witnesses also said they later heard that she was in Spain.

"Cases like that of Marita Ver�n have an impact and give visibility to the problem of trafficking because they are extreme cases involving middle-class women who did not form part of any prostitution ring. But all cases of exploitation must be condemned," activist Liliana Azaraf said.

� 2012, Catholic Online. Distributed by NEWS CONSORTIUM.

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Pope Benedict XVI's Prayer Intentions for January 2013
General Intention: The Faith of Christians. That in this Year of Faith Christians may deepen their knowledge of the mystery of Christ and witness joyfully to the gift of faith in him.
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Keywords: Argentina, prostitution, human trafficking, missing girl

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National Association of Human Trafficking Victim Advocates
1 year ago
November 8, 2011
LA JOLLA HUMAN TRAFFICKING ACCORDS published by the National Association of Human Trafficking Victim Advocates and live on the web at: www.stopslavery2012.com

The National Association of Human Trafficking Victim Advocates, a grass-roots, energized and professional group of victim advocates from throughout the USA, Mexico and Canada are pleased to announce the publication of the LA JOLLA HUMAN TRAFFICKING ACCORDS.

As a result of our annual convention attended by 29 leading advocates from throughout North America, the Association is releasing the LA JOLLA HUMAN TRAFFICKING ACCORDS – a document “…by the advocates, on behalf of the victims we serve, to society, stating what is needed to end slavery (human trafficking) in our lifetime.” This document is meant to be shared worldwide by all peoples motivated to end our society’s #1 human rights violation.

The Association also determined the Top 5 needs to accomplish our goal of providing more effective human trafficking victim-support services are:

1- More targeted funding of programs and services that work, by victim advocates seeking to be more effective and collaborative.

2- Education and Awareness must be increased as to the scope of the problem and the proposed solutions - to all members of society (external) and within the advocacy community (internal).

3- Increasing the protection of at-risk populations and the rescuing of victims.

4- Increasing the collaboration between all vested parties to increase the legal, housing and social services available to today’s victims and tomorrow’s survivors.

5- More research to provide evidence-based data to help validate the types and quantity of services needed.

To inquire, contribute and join us in the fight against slavery in 2012, please contact:

Phil Cenedella, Executive Director

National Association of Human Trafficking Victim Advocates

+1.888.206.3264

www.stopslavery2012.com

help@stopslavery2012.com

LA JOLLA HUMAN TRAFFICKING ACCORDS
November 4, 2011

WHEREAS… modern day slavery exists today in the form of human trafficking and sexual exploitation in greater numbers than at any time in our history.*

WE THE PEOPLE… and the National Association of Human Trafficking Victim Advocates hereby declare:

* All peoples, regardless of race, religion, gender, age, nationality, or social group, have the right to live freely without fear of exploitation.

* Due to the increased demand for minor victims of labor and sexual exploitation, all children are entitled to society’s increased protection.

* Due to the fact that human trafficking is the fastest growing crime in our world today, this issue needs urgent attention and full collaboration among all service providers, law enforcement agencies, media outlets, community leaders, governmental agencies, and citizens.

* Legislation to enhance, and close loopholes, in the current laws against human trafficking need to reflect the severity of this heinous crime.

* Victims of human trafficking and sexual exploitation should be given enhanced professional rehabilitation and healing for the traumatic consequences of their enslavement.

* Increased funding focused on programs that work should be the priority of all government organizations and private sector donors so as to effectively fight the demand for forced slave labor and commercialized sex and to help abolish slavery in our lifetime.

* Recognizing that modern slavery is no longer a hidden tragedy, priority needs to given to educating the public, law enforcement, transportation and service industries, the media, and social service providers on how to help stop it.

* All human traffickers and their clients (those that buy others for sex / those that force others to work in slave conditions) need to know society does not accept this behavior and we are increasing our efforts to stop this madness.

* To today’s victims, and tomorrow’s survivors, please know that we are here to help – call the national hotline at 888-3737-888 or email us at help@stopslavery2012.com

IN CONCLUSION … this La Jolla Human Trafficking Accords document should be freely distributed and promoted throughout the world in order for all peoples to work together to finally end this travesty in our society.

* 2011 U.S. State Department TIP report and the National Association of Attorneys General

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