Who are the Victims of Human Trafficking?

In our last post, we discussed the sad truth that human trafficking is a problem in small villages, large cities, and even in your own home town. It's not that it could potentially be an issue. It's happening, and it happens every day in every area of the world; even the lightest-populated areas can be targeted. Today, we wanted to delve a little deeper; stories from our own state, Illinois.



An article was brought to my attention this morning, posted April 2, 2016 by the State-Journal Register, telling the story of Patricia McKnight, who grew up in Freeburg, Illinois, and found herself to be the victim of the sex trafficking industry. These stories aren't uncommon, and they're fully preventable if we all came together to stop them before they take place.
Saving women after they've been shut up in small, inconspicuous apartments, or hotels, or the back rooms of businesses is better than nothing, but it isn't enough. We need to prevent these situations before the women ever leave safety; and if they're born into danger, as Patricia was, with an abusive stepfather and a mother who felt he was her only option for financial stability, they need to be removed and placed into a place of comfort as soon as they can be.
To read more about Patricia and the Butterfly Dreams Abuse Recovery, which she herself founded, click here.