The Super Bowl is the largest sporting and television event in the country. Tens of thousands will flock to the stadium, and millions will watch from home. However, at events like this, it is essential we keep track of not only the game but also the potential victims of human trafficking who are vulnerable at these large gatherings. Every year, 50 million people are trafficked somewhere in the world for either labor or sex.
Joining Gloria on “The Gloria Purvis Podcast” is Sister Anne Victory, a board member at U.S. Catholic Sisters Against Human Trafficking, who has led efforts against human trafficking for over a decade.
According to the U.S. Sisters Against Human Trafficking, this crime “occurs when a trafficker uses force, fraud or coercion to control another person for the purpose of engaging in commercial sex acts or soliciting labor or services against his/her will.”
Sister Anne describes the most common circumstances in which people get trafficked, profiles of traffickers and what to look out for. If you suspect someone is being trafficked, please call (888) 373-7888. Even if you’re not certain, Sister Anne encourages you to report what you see and leave the investigation with local law enforcement who are specially trained for these cases: “Just know that they’d rather have you report it and save someone’s life than be wrong.”
While the topic of human trafficking is dark, Sister Anne continues to find hope in her work to end it. “I think one of the ways that I keep the faith is I’ve seen the difference since when we started 15 years ago working on this. And now people are a little more aware,” Sister Anne says. “Even becoming educated about it is doing something, becoming involved in fair trade and understanding what fair trade is and how our purchases make a difference, or how the stock we hold makes a difference.”
