Criminal justice system failing human trafficking survivors, says new report

The criminal justice system is failing survivors of human trafficking, according to a new report from a Sudbury, Ont.-based organization.

Angels for Hope Against Human Trafficking interviewed 15 human trafficking survivors across Ontario and concluded a greater focus on restorative justice and recovery is needed.

"They told us that their experiences with the criminal legal system were pretty awful and that the current system is pretty oppressive, especially for Indigenous survivors who don't feel that their voices are heard and that their declarations for justice are taken seriously," said Jeff Bradley, the research and development co-ordinator for Angels of Hope.

The system is actually criminalizing survivors that have been put into these exploitative situations.​​​​​​- Jeff Bradley, Angels for Hope

Angels for Hope works with survivors and supports them in their recovery.

Bradley said the survivors told him they need access to more services like counselling, healing circles, rehabilitation programs and peer support to help them recover from their experiences and rebuild their lives.

He said that for many of them, going through the court system was traumatizing, and in some cases they were seen as the perpetrators.

"The system is actually criminalizing survivors that have been put into these exploitative situations," Bradley said.

Survivors told him they faced drug and loitering charges while trying to navigate the legal system.

But Bradley said more needs to be done to address the root causes of human trafficking as well.

"So many of the roots of this are socioeconomic, which makes certain individuals more vulnerable to trafficking, whether that's abuse in the home, experiencing racism or homophobia or, you know, limited access to education and jobs," he said.

Survivor not surprised by report

Jennifer Richardson, a human trafficking survivor and the director of strategy and communications with the Ontario Native Women's Association, said she wasn't surprised by the report's findings.

"It's nothing I haven't heard for most of my life, being that I've been in this space since I was 13," she said.

Richardson said the majority of human trafficking survivors – more than 90 per cent – don't report their experience to police because of mistrust of the justice system, not feeling safe to come forward, wanting to get on with their lives and healing, and needing to leave the jurisdiction they are in.

Because of that, Richardson said the full extent of human trafficking remains hidden.

Richardson said she didn't go through the criminal justice system when she escaped her traffickers because she did not feel safe to do so.

In 2020 the province of Ontario made a $307-million investment, over five years, to fund its new anti-human trafficking strategy.

"We have more resources than anywhere else in our country for sure, but I don't know that it's enough," Richardson said.

But she said most of the programs funded by the province's anti-human trafficking strategy are already at capacity.