Earlier this month, Police and FBI agents invaded two spas in Bennington as part of an investigation into human trafficking and prostitution. Earlier this year, Senator Patrick Leahy added an amendment to the Violence Against Women Act to reauthorize the Trafficking Victims Protection Act. In 2011, Vermont passed a law against human-trafficking and set up a Human Trafficking Taskforce. More than 500 victims of human trafficking were confirmed in the US between 2008 and 2010.
Barbara Whitchurch is the chair of the Vermont Human Trafficking Taskforce and the public education coordinator at the Vermont Center for Crime Victims Services. She spoke with Vermont Edition about human trafficking in Vermont.
Suspected human trafficking can be reported in Vermont by calling 1-888-98-HUMAN or by calling the Polaris Project at 1-888-373-7888.
