Human Trafficking
Esta Steyn |
TEDxSittardGeleen
• May 2019
Meet Esta Steyn, an amazing woman living in the Netherlands but born in South Africa. She has completely devoted her life to work against human trafficking and make the world a better place. Since 2014 she is the director of STOP THE TRAFFIK - the Netherlands, that wants put a stop to human trafficking. It’s Esta’s main expertise to prevent the sexual exploitation of minors. Esta has a bachelor in Social Work and is currently doing a master in Contextual Therapy.
In 2000, the Netherlands legalized the sex industry. The police find no minors in the legal sex industry, but each year minors do get exploited sexually: isn’t that contradictory? And what happens when a teenager becomes a victim of sexual exploitation?
A few years ago in the Netherlands, a 16-year old girl was abused dozens of times in a hotel. In the court case 27 men were prosecuted and high charges were demanded. Two of those charged committed suicide and the court ruled that the sentences had to be lowered because of the effect it had on the lives of the sex buyers. In the end, they got a 1-day sentence! In the Netherlands, prison sentences are low in comparison to the crime of sexual exploitation of minors, the age of the exploited child does not factor into defining the punishment.
There is a legal sex industry. And there are no shortages of men and women providing their services there. Then why do sex buyers continue to keep on seeking sexual services in the illegal sex industry?