SINN Féin’s Justice Spokesperson Raymond McCartney has expressed alarm after it was revealed that six children were among 52 potential victims of human trafficking referred to the PSNI last year.
The Foyle MLA said: “Human trafficking involves horrific abuses of human rights, but they are largely hidden crimes which makes it difficult to assess the scale of the problem.
“Worryingly, these six children were among 52 potential victims of human trafficking, including potential victims of sexual exploitation.
“Sinn Féin made a series of recommendations in its response to the Department of Justice consultation on its Human Trafficking and Modern Slavery Strategy last year.
“These recommendations sought to raise awareness of trafficking, train people to recognise and report signs of trafficking, and ultimately to protect victims and potential victims.
“It is imperative that there is quick progress on this strategy.
“I encourage anyone who has suspicions or has spotted signs of trafficking to report it immediately, because as these figures show, you could help save someone from a life of horrific human rights abuse.”
