The Australian Federal Police has deployed specialised officers to communities across the country as it ramps up its fight against human trafficking and online child sexual exploitation.
The community liaison officers will meet with community leaders, educate people on topics such as online grooming and sextortion, and engage with schools where students are at risk of being forced into marriage.
The officers will be stationed at AFP commands across the country.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen
The initiative comes amid concerns human exploitation could be under-reported and some victims unaware that crimes are being committed against them.
AFP Commander Helen Schneider said the officers would engage with high-risk and vulnerable communities in a bid to protect potential victims from exploitation.
“This capability provides an important opportunity for law enforcement to intervene to protect potential victims and to prevent criminal offending from occurring, and we know that education is key,” Schneider said.
“We know that victims or potential victims of human trafficking and slavery offences may not actually understand the crimes that have been committed against them, or they may not even identify as victims.”
Sakina Muhammad Jan forced her daughter Ruqia to marry the man that later murdered her.Credit: Wayne Taylor
In the past financial year, AFP received more than 58,000 reports of online child sexual exploitation and 382 reports of human trafficking, which includes forced marriage, servitude, forced labour, exit trafficking and slavery.
However, intelligence from the Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation suggests those figures are likely to be an understatement, since only 12 per cent of victims of online child sexual exploitation report the abuse to law enforcement.
Read the full article here
