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What will happen to the trafficking survivors whose stories don't make headlines?
ECPAT-USA expresses our gratitude to the courageous survivors who testified against R. Kelly in his sex trafficking trial, the prosecutors and investigators who ensured that their voices were heard, and the jurors who believed them and held their abuser accountable. None of this was a foregone conclusion.
“We hope that the verdict sends the message that our laws and policies must encourage victims to come forward so their abusers can be brought to justice,” said Lori L. Cohen, ECPAT-USA’s CEO. “While the conviction offers a small amount of justice to the women, girls, and boys who suffered at the hands of R. Kelly, it is the tragic reality that far too often, victims of exploitation are ignored by the criminal legal system, have their abuse minimized or, tragically, are blamed for the harm perpetrated against them."
“As we’ve seen in the decades of allegations made against R. Kelly, the threat is even greater for Black and Brown survivors who, despite detailing the horrific abuse inflicted against them by a wealthy and powerful man, were dismissed as liars and fame-seekers. While we might breathe a sigh of relief that one high-profile predator will no longer harm our children, we must ask, what will happen to the survivors whose stories are not deemed worthy of national headlines?"
Statistics show that 2 out of every 3 sexual assaults go unreported because victims fear retaliation or believe that officials won’t be able to help. Additionally, in an estimated 975 in 1,000 sexual assaults in the United States, perpetrators will walk free.
We hope that this verdict marks a watershed moment in which even the famous and powerful are held accountable and other trafficking survivors feel safe coming forward. As ECPAT-USA’s Survivors’ Council teaches us, we must listen to victims of sex trafficking and abuse - and provide them the support they need to ensure that all children can grow up in a world free from exploitation.
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