When it comes to reporting human trafficking offenses to law enforcement, very few victims and survivors of both sex and labour trafficking choose to report, despite human trafficking being a criminal offence in Canada. For many survivors, reporting their human trafficking experience can be complicated and the judicial process can be lengthy and sometimes retraumatizing.
Choosing to report can also be empowering for survivors: it is one way to give voice to an experience and hold a trafficker accountable. Each person’s story is their own and they are entitled to make the choice about whether or not they report. Below, we discuss several factors which may impact someone’s decision to report to law enforcement.
**Please note, this post is not intended to discourage reporting to police but rather to raise awareness of the many complex and unique considerations for survivors when it comes to reporting their trafficking experience.
Misconceptions about human trafficking:
Human trafficking is often wrongly associated as only a crime against children, as something that only happens in other countries, or something that includes abduction and more closely resembles the Hollywood movie Taken with Liam Neeson. Unfortunately, these misconceptions shape the responses of service providers, law enforcement and the public to the crime and negatively affect society’s collective capacity to identify victims of trafficking and understand their experiences. Finally, misconceptions may also lead to victims of trafficking not recognizing that what is happening to them is a in fact crime, and thus not reporting it.
Concerns for safety:
Traffickers may threaten victims, their families and loved ones with physical harm and abuse if they report their exploitation.
Fear of reprimand for associated crimes:
Traffickers may force or require a victim to commit other crimes such as theft and drug related offenses. In some cases, a trafficker may demand that the victim recruit others into human trafficking. This may deter some survivors from reporting to police due to a fear of being charged criminally. In situations where the victim is a foreign national in Canada, and lacks stable immigration status, the risk of deportation may also cause victims not to disclose their abuse. Click here for more information on the intersection of immigration status and the reporting of human trafficking.
Perceptions of law enforcement:
Victims and survivors of human trafficking may not trust law enforcement, either because they themselves or their community have had past negative interactions with police, or because of lies they have been told by a trafficker, preventing once again a report to police. It is important to note that a mistrust in police, and the subsequent reluctance to report exploitation and abuse, disproportionately affects foreign nationals, LGBTQ2S, racialized and Indigenous peoples who come from communities with a history of conflict with law enforcement.
The emotional burden of the judicial system:
Statistics Canada reports that it takes approximately 358 days for a case involving human trafficking charges to go through the judicial system. This means that for up to a year, a survivor of human trafficking must be available emotionally and physically to the needs of the court process, bearing the responsibility of testifying and cross examination. Survivors are forced to retell the most traumatizing parts of their story, and often their memory of those moments and their character are questioned.
Additionally, in more cases than not, the judicial process does not result in a human trafficking conviction for the perpetrator, which can make survivors feel more unsafe and reluctant to report their situation to police.
Relationship with the Trafficker:
Some survivors of human trafficking report being in an intimate relationship with their exploiter, may even share children together and live in the same dwelling. The survivor may also rely on the trafficker to have their basic needs met such as shelter and food. The bond between the trafficker and survivor makes it very challenging to press charges, even after they have left the relationship or exploitative situation.In some situations, the trafficker is a guardian or a relative, which can evoke confusing emotions of loyalty and love, and make it hard to report the crime.
Stigma and shame of disclosing:
Victims and survivors of trafficking often experience stigma and shame as a result of their experiences. A common question asked is, ‘why didn’t you just leave?’, but the process of human trafficking is complex and it can be incredibly confusing for victims and survivors to understand what has been done to them. Click here to read our blog post on Why It Is So Hard to Just Leave. Additionally, in some cultures, gender roles and stigma can add pressure, and reporting trafficking may carry significantly higher personal risk than trying to bury that experience and that trauma. It is also possible that a victim or survivor may feel that they consented to their exploitation or that the deserved the violence they experienced; traffickers are skilled at manipulation and making the victim feel responsible for the exploitation. No one can consent to being trafficked and no one ‘deserves’ to be trafficked.
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If you have been trafficked, regardless of whether or not you decide to report, support is available 24/7 and you are not alone. You can call the Canadian Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-833-900-1010 or click here to chat confidentially with a Hotline Response Advocate about your situation or needs. The Hotline is an independent non-profit, it is not a law enforcement or government entity.
If choosing to report your experiences to law enforcement, we can work to connect you to services able to support you through that process.
If you are an ally, friend or family member of someone who has been exploited, consider creating a safe and open space for the people around you to share their experience, but ultimately respect their decision regarding how they choose to move forward. If you also need support or more information, please call the Canadian Human Trafficking Hotline.