GREEN LIGHT C-268
by Erin Stewart (Brantford, Ontario)
The Expositor March 6, 2009
Human trafficking isn't being treated as seriously as it should be. Canada needs to toughen up to protect our children. While in the United States someone convicted of trafficking a minor could face up to 20 years in prison, Canada's track record hasn't been as strong. One of the three convictions in Canada involved the sale of a 15 year old girl as a prostitute multiple times a day for three years. The perpetrator is only serving a year before being eligible for parole.
Joy Smith's bill, C-268: Mandatory Minimum Sentences for Trafficking Minors could go a long way to protecting our children from this dangerous exploitation. Smith's bill will impose a mandatory sentence of five years for anyone convicted of trafficking a child. There is no reason why this bill shouldn't instantly succeed. Canada has signed and ratified the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the sale of children, child prostitution and pornography, which states that the 'grave nature' of these crimes needs to be considered when imposing penalties.
By the sentences imposed on those convicted of trafficking, it doesn't seem that Canada is recognizing the severity of this offence. We need to establish serious penalties for human trafficking. Until we do, I'll be supporting bill C-268.
