Klobuchar and Cindy McCain Join Google and Leading Advocates to Raise Awareness about Sex Trafficking
Klobuchar and McCain participated in the “Our Children Are Not for Sale” event organized by Google; Google helped launch the “No Such Thing” campaign and has been a worldwide leader in identifying strategies to use technology in the fight against sex trafficking
Klobuchar, a national leader in the fight against sex trafficking, led a panel discussion on the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act; the Act was recently signed into law by President Obama and features a provision sponsored by the senator that encourages states to adopt Safe Harbor laws
ST. PAUL, MN – Senator Amy Klobuchar joined Cindy McCain, advocates from Rights4Girls, and representatives from Google at a forum in St. Paul, Minnesota, today where they discussed efforts to combat child sex trafficking in Minnesota and across the United States. The forum included a panel discussion on the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act, which Klobuchar championed and helped pass into law. The Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act includes a provision authored by Klobuchar that pushes states to adopt new laws modeled after Minnesota’s “Safe Harbor” law so that minors sold for sex aren’t prosecuted as defendants, but are instead treated as victims.
“As a former prosecutor, I know how critical a victim-centered approach can be,” said Senator Amy Klobuchar. “That’s why I helped lead major bipartisan legislation that was signed into law last month to fight trafficking and help victims. The Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act puts victims’ needs first by providing federal incentives for other states to implement Safe Harbor laws like we have in Minnesota because children who have been sold for sex should be treated as victims, not prosecuted as defendants.”
The forum also featured a conversation about the “No Such Thing” campaign, which was initiated by Rights4Girls and the McCain Institute and is supported by Google, as well as a discussion about the ways new technology is helping in the fight against trafficking.
“It was an honor to join Sen. Klobuchar and Rights4Girls in today’s discussion about combating child sex trafficking in the United States,” said Cindy McCain, chair of The McCain Institute’s Human Trafficking Advisory Council. “Fortunately, leaders like Sen. Klobuchar are working to change our nation’s laws to better protect victims. However, more must be done. The No Such Thing campaign seeks to change the existing narrative surrounding victims of child sex trafficking. How you are named is how you are treated, which why it is so important to label the victims what they truly are: victims of child rape.”
The No Such Thing campaign calls on members of the media, policymakers, law enforcement officials and others to change the way they label the victims of child sex trafficking.
“I commend Sen. Klobuchar for her work on the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act,” said Malika Saada Saar, executive director of Rights4Girls. “The legislation is a recognition by Congress and President Obama that we have a trafficking problem in the United States. While this legislation takes historic steps forward, we must continue working to change the narrative. Sadly, when a victim of child sex trafficking is arrested they are often labeled ‘child prostitutes’ by law enforcement and the media. The No Such Thing campaign seeks to end the term and idea of a child prostitute and ensure that victims are treated and named appropriately.”
