Hope for Justice is an anti-human trafficking organisation working to uncover and abolish the hidden crime of modern-day slavery. As a non-governmental organisation (NGO) they gather intelligence and assist in the process of removing victims from exploitation within the UK. Human trafficking is not someone else’s problem, it’s happening in our communities, in our neighbourhoods, in our country.
Too often women and young girls fall victim to sex slavery after being deceived by partners or members of their families.
Hope for Justice was created to be the practical solution to human trafficking with four areas of operation:
Investigate & Rescue
Their team responds to intelligence received from NGOs and community groups they’ve trained to recognise the indicators of trafficking. This work enables them to assist in the rescue of victims from situations of exploitation and transfer them to aftercare providers. Intelligence is submitted to the police and can form part of the picture where a larger organised crime culture exists. With so many victims arriving from countries with disreputable policing, and so many others wilfully instilled with a terror of UK police, the need for a third party is distinct and urgent. Hope for Justice builds bridges of trust between police and victim, and acts as a conduit for intelligence that would otherwise simply never see the light of day.
Assist Aftercare
Whilst not providing aftercare themselves, they work closely with those who do, to assist in the protection and rehabilitation of victims. Their Aftercare Coordinator may suggest the most appropriate facility based on the victim’s needs and facilitate transport there. Follow-up phone calls and visits are made and the team tracks each individual’s progress. This relates closely to their third aim; prosecution. 78.13% of the victims they rescue request their assistance in terms of advocating for them through investigation and prosecution.
Perpetrator Accountability
They believe that perpetrators should be held responsible for their crimes via prosecution. They work to ensure that victims are properly recognised as such through referral into the National Referral Mechanism (NRM) and they forward intelligence to the police to assist in bringing perpetrators to justice. Their Legal Team supports the victim through the reporting and investigative process should they wish to report the matter to the police and ensure that they receive appropriate basic legal advice on all aspects of their case including any potential civil actions. This means perpetrators are held to account financially as well as through the criminal justice process.
Campaign
They campaign at a local, national and international level to ensure the laws on human trafficking work effectively to combat the problem. As they develop relationships in Whitehall their advocacy and legislative agenda is growing with over 100 ACTFORJUSTICE community groups joining our call for action and awareness. They are an established part of the anti-trafficking NGO community and a member of the Human Trafficking Foundation, an umbrella forum chaired by Anthony Steen.
WATCH this animated video to see how we can all help break the cycle, and help end modern slavery forever.http://bit.ly/19RxW8H
Today, another organisation called The A21 Campaign held an event in London to raise awareness of human trafficking and to rally support. Find out more about #27for27 on facebook, instagram and twitter to be inspired in how you can help to fight for justice, hope and a future of freedom for the victims of modern day slavery!
Blessings!
Ronell x
