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Yesterday, Senators Amy Klobuchar and John Cornyn announced the introduction of the Abolish Trafficking Reauthorization Act of 2022 which will reauthorize the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2017. The TVPA is a crucial piece of legislation that provides the legal framework for the U.S. to combat, monitor, and prosecute human trafficking crimes, and simultaneously addresses the way children who have experienced severe trauma are treated in the criminal legal system.
ECPAT-USA is proud to join with victim advocacy, youth justice and other anti-trafficking organizations in support of this bill. This version of the TVPA contains vital provisions that would reform current standards for child sex crime victims who are in the criminal justice system:
- Courts would be allowed to deviate from harsh sentences for child victims who commit serious offenses against their traffickers or abusers
- Judges would be asked to consider the experiences of child offenders any time a child is sentenced in adult court
- Children prosecuted in the federal legal system would no longer be able to be sentenced to life without parole
“For over 20 years, the TVPA has helped protect vulnerable children and provide services for survivors of exploitation," said Nina DeJonghe, ECPAT-USA's Director of Public Policy. "Crucially, this bill includes provisions that will better prevent child trafficking victims from becoming trapped in the legal system. Far too often, the judicial system penalizes minors who have been exploited, without consideration given to the awful abuse they endured as a result of their trafficking. Treating children in a trauma-informed and age-appropriate manner is critical to both their psychological and physiological well-being.”
Help us pass this vital legislation by contacting your senator and asking them to support the Abolish Trafficking Reauthorization Act of 2022. Join us in building a world where no child is bought, sold, or used for sex.
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