US Senator John Cornyn with his family before speaking at Texas Governor elect Greg Abbott election party at Moody Theatre in Austin on Tuesday, November 4, 2014 (Vernon Bryant/The Dallas Morning News)
Rights4Girls, which is a human rights organization focused on gender-based violence, would like to commend Sen. John Cornyn for his leadership on fighting child sex trafficking in the United States. In his op-ed “It’s time to take human trafficking seriously,” which was published Nov. 9, Cornyn tells the story of Melissa Woodward from Dallas. Melissa is among the thousands of children enduring a form of what is modern-day slavery.
Americans need to know that child sex trafficking is prevalent in the United States. It is happening in our backyards, and young girls like Melissa are being kidnapped, raped and sold for sex on a daily basis. As Cornyn points out, close to 300,000 children are now at risk of commercial sexual exploitation in the United States. These girls are vulnerable, and they need our help.
Fortunately, members of Congress like Cornyn are fighting to protect these young girls. Cornyn introduced legislation, the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act, which aims to stop child sex trafficking in its tracks by going after the buyers in this horrific crime. Rights4Girls wholeheartedly supports Cornyn’s efforts, and we commend him for his leadership.
Malika Saada Saar, Washington, D.C.,
executive director, Rights4Girls