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ECPAT-USA applauds the announcement this week by Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance Jr. that his office will no longer prosecute individuals facing prostitution and unlicensed massage charges, focusing instead on sex buyers and traffickers. This is a landmark decision that ECPAT-USA hopes other jurisdictions will be encouraged to adopt.
For too long, the blame has been - and continues to be - placed on the victims of exploitation, while sex buyers and traffickers, those who fuel the demand for the commercial exploitation of children and profit off young bodies, are allowed to walk free. Until it is understood that the responsibility of harm in these situations lies with buyers and traffickers, children will never be fully protected from these heinous crimes.
Even in jurisdictions where children in exploitative situations are already recognized as victims, in many cases, those protections disappear when they turn 18. It also must be noted that the systemic inequalities and injustices that make certain youth more at-risk of trafficking, including runaway children, LGBTQ youth, children aging out of the foster care system, young people with disabilities, and those from BIPOC communities, do not disappear when a child becomes an adult. This thoughtful leadership allows for individuals from these marginalized groups to continue to have access to supportive services as they enter young adulthood - without fear of prosecution.
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