Idea: Treat Child Prostitutes as Victims, Not Criminals
One of the thorniest issues confronting police departments is how to treat young children they find caught up in sex trafficking situations or what appears to be prostitution. In most municipalities, kids who are arrested in brothels are charged with prostitution — leaving little flexibility for police to consider the very real and obvious question: how did these young people end up where they are?
More law enforcement agencies are re-thinking how to treat underage children, including the suburban Washington D.C. Montgomery County, Maryland Police Department. Lieutenant Robert Bolesta oversees the unit responsible for the effort. Whenever possible, his department pursues alternatives to arresting children who are victims of domestic sex trafficking.
“They are afforded certain rights and protections if they are a trafficking victim,” said Lieutenant Robert Bolesta. “We will rescue them from the situation. We will not charge those individuals with prostitution.”
Prostitution remains perhaps the most controversial issue within the broader subject of human trafficking. Many advocate treating prostitution as a legitimate form of work while, others believe it is a criminal activity in which women victims are forced to use their bodies as, in effect, work tools.
Common sense suggests, however, that there are not likely to be very many young girls — teenagers and younger — who have entered the world of prostitution willingly, or as a way to make a living. If that’s the case in most situations police would encounter, perhaps more law enforcement agencies will adopt Montgomery County’s enlightened policy.
Thanks for this post! It’s great to hear about police departments who are setting a positive example. Often the media portrays these children solely as criminals, leading to stigmatization and prejudice. Check out: http://sharedhope.wordpress.com/2010/01/07/what%e2%80%99s-wrong-with-calling-a-child-a-prostitute-2/ to find out more!
I agree with this blog. Child prostitutes are victims. It is rare that young women would choose such a horrible lifestyle for themselves. In almost all cases, they did not choose the criminal life they live. They were forced into prostitution, therefore they are not the criminal, they are the victim. I feel it would be completely unfair and immoral to charge these helpless children. They were not put into this lifestyle by choice, but through force. How can anyone justify doing such a thing? What reasons could law enforcement bring about that would lead towards prosecuting helpless children forced into a degenerate act such as prostitution?
I agree. Children that are forced into situations like these have suffered enough terror, they don’t need more. The police officers need to hear the story before automatically charging these children with prostitution. I know if my child was kidnapped and forced into trafficking I would listen to my child. I mean what mother wouldn’t?