DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE ANNOUNCES ONGOING MEASURES TO COMBAT TRAFFICKING OF WOMEN, CHILDREN AND MEN

WASHINGTON, D.C. - - As part of his ongoing efforts to combat human trafficking, Attorney General John Ashcroft announced today plans to seek Congressional sponsorship of Administration legislation that would strengthen federal laws against “sex tourism,” plans to hold a national training seminar for federal prosecutors scheduled for the fall of 2002, and the availability of two new brochures to assist victims of human trafficking. The information was presented by Attorney General Ashcroft at Wednesday’s meeting of the President’s Interagency Task Force to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons.

“The toll of human trafficking is enormous. It is disturbing to know that the scourge of modern-day slavery exists and thousands of persons are being trafficked into the United States for the purpose of forced labor and involuntary servitude,” said Ashcroft. “Our meeting today underscores our ongoing efforts to improve coordination among our agencies and our resolve to address this problem at the highest levels of government.”

The Department of Justice collaborated with the Departments of State, Labor and Health and Human Services to develop a brochure to educate non-governmental organizations about trafficking in persons and government assistance available to victims. A second brochure was developed for law enforcement to distribute to victims they encounter, informing the victims about their rights and services available to them. Both brochures are available on the Department of Justice’s internet website at http://www.usdoj.gov/crt/crim/wetf/trafficbrochure.pdf and http://www.usdoj.gov/crt/crim/wetf/victimsbrochure.pdf..

The Department of Justice will also conduct anti-trafficking training for federal prosecutors, Immigration and Naturalization Service personnel and agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation in October 2002. The training will educate federal officials about the most effective ways to investigate and prosecute human trafficking cases.

In addition, the Department of Justice has drafted new legislation that would create a federal sex tourism statute that will be substantially broader than the current version. The proposed amendment would allow federal prosecutors to prosecute any American who travels abroad and engages in statutory rape or sexual abuse of a child, or pays a minor to engage in sex.

Additional information is available on the Department of Justice’s website at http://www.usdoj.gov/crt/crim/tpwetf.htm. Individuals who would like to report the crime of trafficking in persons should call the Department’s toll-free hotline at (888) 428-7581 (voice and TTY).

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