Who are victims of human trafficking?
- Survivors of human trafficking exist across all demographics.
- The DA’s office typically works with survivors ranging in age from 13 to 55, of all different races and ethnicities.
- The office supports survivors that come through as subpoenaed victims on cases, but also through Cherished HEARTS Court, Grace Empowered, community work, and tips from non-profit partners.
- The only similarity between each survivor is that some type of vulnerability existed that their trafficker targeted, whether that be drug addiction, poverty, or an unstable family life (seen in most juvenile cases).
- Our office supported between 36 to 46 survivors in 2020
- 502 individuals have come through the Grace Empowered Program to date.
- Our office partners with agencies and even businesses like “NaSHEville” to help fund and support these programs:
An example of that success can be seen here:
Human Trafficking – How we support Victims
- The DA’s office supports the victims of Victims of Trafficking with customized case management:
When the DA’s office is assigned a trafficking case, we work closely with our local non-profits to support the listed victim and to determine what the best course of action is for the victim, depending on their age and location. Partnerships include:
Sometimes, this involves connecting the victim with housing or services such as trauma therapy or child care.
Where necessary, the office will also involve an internal victim/witness coordinator to make sure that the victim has the most support possible while walking through the court process.