Human trafficking is a serious concern in Ottawa, according to new research by a local advocacy group.
PACT Ottawa, an anti-human trafficking organization based in Centretown on Bronson Avenue, estimates that at least 150 women in the city are being forced into prostitution. The new numbers also suggest that the sex-slave industry is bringing in nearly $26 million per year for the city’s traffickers.
The estimates come from an initiative called Project imPACT, which received $200,000 in funding from the federal government.
The project aims to prevent or reduce the trafficking of women in Ottawa, with a heavy focus on sexual exploitation.
Elise Wohlbold, manager of Project imPACT, says the numbers came as a surprise.
“We knew there were certainly human trafficking cases in Ottawa, we just didn’t know how many,” says Wohlbold. “We were quite shocked.”
Wohlbold says there is a wide misconception about the nature of human trafficking. According to her, most people assume that victims are trafficked internationally, which is not the case in Ottawa.
“We found that 90 per cent of the girls that were identified as victims of trafficking were from Ottawa, or were Canadian” says Wohlbold. “Human trafficking does not need that cross-border smuggling aspect.”
Wohlbold says traffickers seek out girls at a vulnerable age.
“These girls are young. They’re looking for love, they’re looking for attention. They’re searching for an identity.”
Insp. Paul Johnston of the Ottawa police says helping the women can be difficult, because they don't always trust the police.
“We need to be able to get to them in a safe location so that they can safely talk. That’s not an overnight event,” says Johnston. “What we’re looking for is to build that relationship and help them find a way out. We’ll work together with them, and the trust will come over time.”
Johnston says the police are tackling the problem by going after those who do the coercing, rather than going after those being forced into sex work.
“Our focus is to target pimps and controllers,” says Johnston. “We’re after human trafficking. We’re not after those women that are involved in the sex trade industry. We’re there to help them and support them.”
According to one expert, people have a hard time believing this type of activity goes on in cities such as Ottawa. Helen Roos, former chair of the Ottawa Coalition to End Human Trafficking, says the sex-slave industry is seen as something that only happens elsewhere.
“There’s still a perception that human trafficking is predominantly in India, or China,” says Roos. “It’s the other people. It’s on the other side of the world.”