According to the Guardian, despite rising numbers of human trafficking victims, prosecutions for the crime have steadily declined. Though there are an estimated 28 million trafficking victims at any given time, according to the U.S. Department of State, in 2015, there were only 19,000 prosecutions worldwide, and by 2022 that figure had declined by 4,000.
Part of the problem could be the increasingly liberal, expansive abortion laws which play a part in covering up sex traffickers’ crimes.
The issue of human trafficking becomes even more sinister when we consider the alarming intersection with trafficking and the absence of parental consent laws regarding abortion in many areas of the U.S. In many cases, those responsible for bringing trafficking victims to abortion facilities are the very predators who exploit them.
The absence of parental consent laws can enable traffickers to maintain control over their victims, forcing them into a cycle of abuse that involves sexual exploitation and forced abortion. This stark reality underscores the urgent need for comprehensive legal reforms that target human trafficking and also addresses the need for stricter abortion laws protecting minors.
Live Action’s Aiding Abusers investigation revealed a disturbing pattern of child sexual abuse cover-ups within Planned Parenthood. Through recorded cases, interviews with former workers, and shocking instances of involvement in sex trafficking, the investigative video series brought to light the issue of abortion as a means to protect traffickers.
In part 7 of the docuseries, “Aiding Abusers: Planned Parenthood’s cover-up of child sexual abuse,” a Planned Parenthood employee in Richmond, Virginia, told Live Action’s undercover investigators posing as sex traffickers that they could help young “sex workers” at the age of 14 and 15 obtain abortions: “We help you kinda set it up and then you – we have a specific confidential hotline that will call you at whatever number you give us and handle the whole thing. So, for someone who’s a minor, that’s a really good option. We do them probably once or twice a month here…. So we’re – we’re pretty good at handling if someone, you know, doesn’t want someone else to know, or doesn’t want parents—”
At a Bronx, New York, Planned Parenthood, a staffer told the undercover investigators posing as traffickers that they could sign the paperwork stating that they were the victim’s guardians.
Parental consent laws allow parents to be notified if their underage daughter is undergoing an abortion, which would likely signal to them that something is not right and may lead to the arrest of their daughter’s abuser.
READ: ‘Don’t ask, don’t tell’: Planned Parenthood sends pre-teen victims back to sexual abusers
Looking ahead, the Guardian reports that organizations, led by the G20 Interfaith Forum, have urgently called upon G20 countries to address human trafficking, including by reporting slavery risks in their supply chains. In 2016, Pope Francis appealed to nations to combat human slavery and prosecute traffickers in order to reach the United Nation’s goal of eradicating modern-day slavery by 2030.
Despite being seven years out from that deadline, little progress has been made.
At this critical juncture, coordinated international action is imperative. This effort must include not only stricter criminal penalties for traffickers but also comprehensive measures to protect vulnerable individuals from the insidious reach of abortion trafficking, including laws protecting minors. The upcoming G20 leaders’ summit in New Delhi presents a unique opportunity to make progress in eradicating the modern slave trade. But more needs to be done.
