The Maine Council of Churches is grateful to the Legislature and Gov. LePage for approving legislation that helps victims of sexual trafficking in Maine, who are some of the most vulnerable members of our society.
Under L.D. 1531, which has been signed into law, victims will now be able to file for protection from abuse and harassment orders, helping shield them from their predators and providing law enforcement more tools to pursue offenders.
These victims are often marginalized by society, trapped into prostitution because they are poor, homeless, addicted to drugs or have a history of physical and sexual abuse. A 2015 study by Hornby Zeller Associates estimated there are between 200 and 300 victims in Maine, typically white females between the ages of 14 and 30 from both rural and urban areas.
The Maine Council of Churches, which represents nine denominations and 600 churches, is thankful to the Legislature, and particularly state Sen. Amy Volk, who sponsored this bill, for recognizing that all humans deserve to be treated with dignity and respect. Combating human trafficking is one of the council’s chief legislative priorities.
Bonny Rodden
president, Maine Council of Churches
Falmouth
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