INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – Religious communities in Indiana and across the globe will recognize this Sunday, Feb. 8, as the first-ever International Day of Prayer and Awareness Against Human Trafficking.
Indiana Attorney General Greg Zoeller is urging churches, congregations, synagogues, mosques and other religious assemblies in Indiana to participate and demand an end to this $150 billion industry that victimizes countless men, women and children each year.
Though it may seem like a distant crime, Zoeller said, Indiana communities are not immune to human trafficking. State, federal and nonprofit agencies investigated more than 100 human trafficking tips in Indiana last year. The average age at which children in the United States first become victims of sex trafficking is 12-14, and 83 percent of sex trafficking victims in the U.S. are U.S. citizens.
“For too long these horrific crimes flourished largely unnoticed by the public, and thankfully that is starting to change,†Zoeller said. “We now know that human trafficking is happening right here at home, and its victims are our most vulnerable citizens. Being aware of these crimes, knowing the warning signs and refusing to tolerate the commercial sex industry that fuels trafficking are all critical to this fight. Support from the religious community will help spread the message far and wide that these crimes must come to an end.â€
The Indiana Protection for Abused and Trafficked Humans (IPATH) Task Force, of which Zoeller is co-chair, distributed flyers about the Day of Prayer and Awareness to faith groups across the state. The Catholic community has made this effort a priority, and more than 400 Catholic churches in Indiana have been encouraged to include special prayers this Sunday.
“The Catholic communities of Indiana support the efforts of our Attorney General, Greg Zoeller, to call the attention of all Hoosiers to the heinous reality of human trafficking,â€Â said Archbishop Joseph Tobin, C.Ss.R. “As incredible as it seems, the enslavement of human beings continues across the world and is manifest even in the United States of America. The essence of human trafficking is the denial of personal freedoms and, while this abuse assumes many forms, the common denominator is the goal of exploiting human beings through coercion and or force. The Catholic Church has long spoken out against the depravity of human trafficking and slavery. We are grateful that our Attorney General is determined not to look the other way.â€
The International Day of Prayer and Awareness Against Human Trafficking was designated as such by The Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace and the International Union of Superiors General.
The IPATH Task Force offers trainings on how to identify and respond to human trafficking, and collaborates on ways to reduce human trafficking for sex and labor in Indiana. In 2014, the Task Force trained nearly 2,000 people statewide on identifying and preventing human trafficking, which included members of law enforcement, the medical community, child-care and education professionals, social workers and others.
Zoeller has supported legislative changes in Indiana that make it easier to prosecute and hold traffickers accountable and also serves on the National Association of Attorneys General (NAAG) Standing Committee Against Human Trafficking. He also created a public pledge in Indiana to promote zero tolerance for the sex industry called “Don’t Buy the Lie.â€
Individuals and organizations can pledge their commitment in the fight against human trafficking here: www.in.gov/attorneygeneral/humantrafficking. For more information about the Attorney General’s human trafficking prevention efforts, visit www.in.gov/attorneygeneral/humantrafficking. To schedule a human trafficking prevention training event or to learn more about these efforts, contact humantraffickinginfo@atg.in.gov.
Human trafficking tips can be reported to the National Human Trafficking Hotline at: 888-3737-888 (text BeFree- 233733). If it is an emergency, call 911. If a child may be in danger, call the Indiana Child Abuse and Neglect Hotline: 1-800-800-5556. Tips can also be reported to the Indiana Attorney General’s Office by emailing humantraffickingtip@atg.in.gov.
