FBI specialist to give talk on human trafficking
Most victims are women used for sex and labor
City of Oconomowoc — A local church group is raising awareness of the global issue of modern day slavery.
The subject of human trafficking will be the topic of a presentation offered next week by Monica Ramsey, a Victim Specialist of the FBI at Good Shepherd United Methodist Church program at 7 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 8. The event was planed by the church's women's group after an article on the subject was in a recent issue of the church council's national magazine.
"It's an important topic. We want people to come and become aware of what's going on," said Nancy Adsit, one of the organizers of the presentation, which is free and open to the public.
FBI spokesperson Leonard Peace said the gist of the program will be to give an overview of the issue and the services offered to victims of human trafficking.
"This is one issue where there are thousands of children and adult victims each year. It's hard to quantify because they may not want to be discovered if they are in the country illegally; or domestically, they could be a runaways and are evading authorities and seeking the protection of the perpetrator," Peace said.
According to information from the FBI, 80 percent of trafficking victims are female and the primary focus of trafficking is for the purposes of sex and labor.
Peace said offenders operate in a slow and methodical manner.
"Victims may see themselves as a girlfriend of the perpetrator. What becomes easy prey are girls who are runaways and victims already desensitized to sexual activity. They may eventually be asked to perform acts or do things they have been exposed to in some fashion whether as a victim of rape, domestic violence or molestation," he explained.
"It's a long process, where coercion takes place and they make them (victims) feel trust. They provide a false sense of security for a person who feels like they have nothing. Eventually, they turn on them and the victim feels trapped," Peace said.
These crimes are occurring world-wide and no area or community is immune from its danger.
"It literally is a problem we've seen throughout the nation in cities and in suburbs," Peace said.
In international cases where foreign nationals are smuggled into the country, there are certain signs that should raise suspicion.
"There's a lack of understanding the English language; they live in large groups in a single home or apartment and you rarely see these individuals moving about outside of the home without the ring leader," Peace said. People suspicious of activity of this nature should contact their local law enforcement agency or the FBI.
In businesses, such as restaurants for example, these individuals never seem to leave the premises, he added.
In domestic cases, the opposite is true, Peace said.
"You will see a lot of traffic in and out of a place where women or minors are living. You'll see a lot of strange faces coming and going," he said.
The FBI has a victims' assistance program that removes the injured party and puts them in a safe and secure environment and into services that get them rehabilitated.
Peace said there is heavy brainwashing by the perpetrators that.
"In domestic cases, these perpetrators are crafty individuals. It's a predatory mindset. They size up their victims.
"What these offenders are doing is trying to prey on a weakness and exploit it. It's very strategic in how they approach it. They cut them off from any support network in their lives and the victims become very dependent on them. Once they're cut off from reality, they can keep them controlled with threats. They are abused by these criminals.
"This is not a crime absent of physical violence," Peace said.
The biggest misconception of the issue, he said, is that victims can walk away at any time.
"Unfortunately, in their minds they can't because of the continuous threats that are made. Physical and mental control keep victims from seeking help.
Threats are issued, either direct or implied, that if the victim leaves the group, the police will be contacted and they will be in trouble. For many international victims, there is a deep fear of legal authorities.
"For a lot of individuals in domestic cases, threats are a major component, threats to them and to their family. Because they have already been exposed to torture, these threats are real. These victims have been brutalized and with that, they feel they are trapped," Peace said.
Good Shepherd United Methodist Women offer monthly presentation on topics that deal with social, spiritual community issues.
If you go
A presentation on Modern Day Slavery will be held at 7 p.m. Monday, Feb.8 at Good Shepherd United Methodist Church, 209 W. Wisconsin Ave. Admission is free and open to the public.
Beverages and dessert will be served
For more information, call Nancy Adsit at (262) 567-2358 or Ginny Cozzens at (920)474-4923
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