Have you ever been afraid to go somewhere because of what you have heard? For instance, right now you may not want to take a trip to Mexico because of all of the drug trafficking going on. Do you think that if you heard about the large amount of women who are kidnapped and forced into prostitution in Hawaii you would still go? Hawaii is seen as a paradise, and not seen as a place where women are sold into sex trafficking. Being seen as a paradise, Hawaii is a main tourist attraction, which makes Hawaii a prime target for sex traffickers.
Sex traffickers are not specific t one country or state, trafficker’s travel from country to country where it is easiest to find a victim who can be forced into prostitution. Sex trafficking is primarily known of in foreign countries like Europe and other countries that are main tourist attractions. Most women who are forced into prostitution by sex traffickers are tourists. The women are in a place that they are not familiar with and a sex trafficker knows this. With this knowledge, the trafficker will take advantage of a woman's vulnerability and gullibility. The average age of a girl to be forced into prostitution in foreign countries is twelve. At the age of twelve, girls do not have a full comprehension of whom they should trust and whom they should not trust. Most women between the ages of twelve and twenty-six when approached by a man who acts kind will trust them. Not many women would think that a polite and kind man would be the one to force them into prostitution.
Have you ever seen a prostitute get arrested? It is true that prostitution is illegal, but the sex traffickers should be the ones who are arrested and not the women. The women are selling themselves on the street not by choice, but are being forced by their "pimp". The Hawaiian government has now realized how the women should not be penalized and therefore the Hawaiian government is working to fix this problem. Kathryn Xian helped create the Hawaii Senate bill 959 that would make sex trafficking a felony and include a large time in jail. There have been safe houses created for the women to go to for a safe place to stay, warm bed, meals and people to take care of them. Sex traffickers have raided some safe houses and the women have been taken back. Along with safe houses being raided, the police have also raided the houses where the sex traffickers are holding the women captive.
Mendoza, Jim. "Sex Trafficking in Paradise - Hawaii News Now - KGMB and KHNL Home."Hawaii News Now - KGMB and KHNL Home - Hawaii News Now - Home. 11 Feb. 2011. Web. 19 Mar. 2011. <http://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/Global/story.asp?S=14011020>.
In this article you learn that sex traffickers focus on money, greed, and power. One prostitute can make between $2,000 and $3,000 a night for her pimp, and each pimp has up to about twenty girls. Hawaii is one of the few states that do not have a law that is directed towards sex or human trafficking. With the help from the police and "Danielle" there could be fewer women who are forced into prostitution in Hawaii. They are going to create a law that is directed specifically towards sex trafficking. Also, this article shows how the government is getting involved and trying to help with sex trafficking. This article is a way for people to see that sex trafficking is happening in places you would not expect. This article also shows how sex trafficking is being seen as a serious issue and needs to be taken care of.
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