Media release: 8 June 2010
 
Today after nine months of inquiry the Drugs and Crime Prevention Committee tabled a landmark report into people trafficking. This is the first time a State Parliament has held a full inquiry into sex trafficking and provides an overall picture of trafficking globally and trafficking responses in Victoria. The report is available here: http://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/dcpc/inquiries/sex%20trafficking/default.htm
 
The importance of the report lies its recognition of the need for a comprehensive and holistic response in order to combat sex trafficking and meet the needs of survivors of trafficking. The Committee has made broad recommendations including:

• the establishment of a whole-of-government Sex Industry Regulation, Policy and Coordination Unit in the Department of Justice (Chapter 16)
• criminalisation of intentionally, knowingly or recklessly obtaining sexual services from trafficked women (Chapter 16)
• guaranteed access for nominated support agencies to brothels, to support trafficked women and other women in the sex industry (chapter 12)
• more training for all agencies likely to encounter victims of trafficking (chapter 14)
• more support services, including exit programs and refuges (Chapter 15)

 
“The report's findings into trafficking people for prostitution are both welcome and groundbreaking,” says Nina Vallins, Executive Director of Project Respect, Australia's leading anti-trafficking and slavery organisation. “People trafficking is an egregious human rights abuse occuring right here in Melbourne.”
 
In 2009 Project Respect documented approximately 110 trafficked women in Victoria, and the total number of trafficked women is undoubtedly higher. Survivors of trafficking supported by Project Respect said, “What happened to us was a nightmare. We can never forget... It was like we were in jail – we had no free time, we couldn’t go anywhere, we never had freedom. The traffickers treated us as slaves.” Women are forced to do prostitution to earn an extortionate amount of money for their traffickers, usually between $35,000 and $50,000. They are subjected to violence and their freedom of movement is usually severely curtailed.
 
“The Victorian Government has already shown strong leadership in funding Australia's first emergency accommodation and casework program and first community enterprise for survivors of trafficking. It is vital that the Government implement the Committee's recommendations to ensure a comprehensive and integrated response to survivors of sex trafficking in Victoria and the dismantling of trafficking networks,” says Ms Vallins.
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See also the following media reports:
PM, ABC Radio National, "Victoria considers sex trafficking reforms," Tuesday 8 June 2010
ABC News, "Calls for new unit to combat sex trafficking," Wednesday 9 June 2010
The Age, "Human trafficking not just for sex," Wednesday 9 June 2010