Human Trafficking
According the Department of Homeland Security, “human trafficking involves the use of force, fraud, or coercion to obtain some type of labor or commercial sex act.” However, what many people don’t realize is that the criminals that may come to mind when you think of this crime are not the only perpetrators of human trafficking. The scary reality is that trusted businesses and locations like websites, hotels, airlines, or truck stops bring in millions of dollars in revenue related to human trafficking and what is considered a practice likened to modern day slavery. Many of these trusted businesses have not been held accountable for their illegal and harmful actions because they were not in the public eye for their crimes. However, with recent surfacing of information incriminating these companies, people who have fallen victim to the crimes of these companies now have the courage and resources to join mass tort lawsuits and fight back against their perpetrators. At the Holman Law Firm, we are dedicated to advocating for victims of human trafficking and passionately fighting on their behalf to receive the justice that they deserve. If you have previously been or currently are a victim of human trafficking and have the resources to do so, please contact the Holman Law Firm< at 850-435-6909 to schedule a consultation.
What Is Involved In Human Trafficking?
There are particular kinds of human trafficking that receive the most attention from mainstream news sources and media outlets, like forced prostitution. However, what many people don’t know is that human trafficking involves all kinds of labor that is forced. This includes sweatshops, factories, restaurants, domestic work, forced marriages, hotels, etc.
In reality, the International Labor Organization estimates that there are over 40 million individuals globally who have fallen victim to human trafficking practices, with about 80 percent of these individuals being coerced or forced into marriages or other kinds of labor. What’s even more shocking is that a quarter of these individuals are young children and approximately 75% of these victims are female.Many would be shocked to know that the human trafficking industry is a $150 billion market all over the world, and 20 percent of the total revenue collected by this industry is generated in the U.S. market.
Additionally, many people are ignorant to the fact that commercial businesses play a major role in the human trafficking industry. Victims that are coerced or forced by perpetrators are transported through commercial travel agencies like buses, taxis, trains, trucks, and flights. Not only this, but human traffickers keep their victims in motels or hotels to carry out some of their forced work.
Lawsuit History For Human Trafficking Cases
There have been multiple federal protections put in place to help protect victims of human trafficking, including President Bill Clinton’s Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000. This particular act defined human trafficking as “the recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision, obtaining, patronizing, or soliciting of a person for labor or sex services through the use of force, fraud, or coercion.”
Many of the state and federal laws now in place protect victims of human trafficking and allow them to recover damages from businesses that financially benefit from the human trafficking industry. In 2008, there was an addition to the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act that allows victims and survivors of human trafficking to start civil claims against these businesses that benefit from human trafficking.
There have been large steps taken in order to help victims of human trafficking receive the justice that they deserve. Companies like World Without Exploitation exist with the mission of ending human trafficking by educating people and conducting outreach services to help victims of human trafficking. Additionally, the National Center on Sexual Exploitation joins law firms in order to help collect and build cases against major players in the hotel industry to prove that they benefit from the illegal practice of human trafficking.
If you are the survivor of human trafficking, you deserve justice and the Holman Law Firm is dedicated to advocating on your behalf against large companies that are not concerned with your wellbeing. No one should have to suffer from this terrible industry any longer, and holding involved businesses accountable is an important step in putting an end to the illegal practice of sex trafficking. If you or someone you know has been the victim of human trafficking, please callthe Holman Law Firm at 850-435-6909 to determine your next steps.
If You Need Support, People Are Available To Help
If you or a loved on has been the victim of and survived human trafficking, or you suspect that you or a loved one may be in danger, please do not hesitate to call the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 888-373-7888.