Citation

Adams C. George Washington international law review 2011; 43(1): 201-234.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2011)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

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Abstract

Re-trafficking or re-victimization, such as Anu's story, has become a "wide-spread phenomenon," despite the increasing prevalence of human trafficking laws both internationally and domestically. This is because the trafficking laws largely focus on crime control rather than on victims' rights. As a result, the few victims who are identified as such are potentially used by law enforcement as sources of information, without regard to their sta- tus as victims of severe human rights abuses. Victims not able or willing to help law enforcement are often prosecuted, deported without concern for their safety, and denied victim services. This failure to be treated as a victim and receive support causes many victims to be re-trafficked.

It is necessary to view human trafficking primarily as a human rights issue to protect victims of human trafficking from being re- victimized. A human rights approach focuses on the victim of the crime as a person whose rights have been violated as opposed to a criminal justice approach, which focuses on punishing the perpetrator of the crime.

Language: en