A21 Campaign MARCH 2011 UPDATE

This last month we saw an HISTORIC victory in Greece as another trafficker was convicted!! This time, the penalty given was unprecedented!Here is a brief snapshot into the courtroom…

As Katrina* approached the witness stand, her heart was beating like never before. This was the moment she had been anxiously waiting for, and it was going to take all of her courage to testify. With tears in her eyes, she stood face to face with her trafficker. All of the horrible memories began to flood her mind, but she pressed through the pain and began to speak every shocking detail of what she had endured at the hands of her trafficker. She said to the judges, "I am here to say to everyone, I am not a prostitute as they call me. I am a girl who came to Greece for a better life, and they raped my body and my soul. They exploited me."

As the trial proceeded, witness after witness were called in against Katrina,* and seven lawyers spoke in the defense of her trafficker. Many false accusations were made against her, and they did all they could to instill fear through methods of intimidation, threats, and embarrassment. One of our lawyers had the privilege of representing Katrina* in court, and was able to shed light in a very dark situation.

When the judges retreated to form their final decision, Katrina* sat in anticipation, unsure if her abuser would be imprisoned or walk free. When the judges entered the room after 1.5 hours of deliberation, there was a death-like silence in the atmosphere. Then the Chair of Court read aloud the court's final decision.

Katrina's* trafficker was found GUILTY of trafficking in persons, prostituting, and repeated rape. He was sentenced to 15.5 years in prison, and a € 108,000 Euro fine ($150,000.00 USD)! Thanks to Katrina's brave testimony, and the determination of our lawyer, one more trafficker has been taken off the street.

This conviction is unprecedented in Greece, and will serve as an example for many future cases.

It is our hope that Katrina's story will be one of many victorious endings for the millions of girls who are currently trapped in a living nightmare of sex trafficking. In order to make this dream a reality, we believe that it is going to take all of us playing our individual part to truly end this injustice.

This is one of the reasons why we have created a resource to equip both students and adults to make a difference. The A21 Abolition Pack is a great tool for people who want to take action to see human trafficking abolished. These packs include a leadership and events manual, two A21 promotional videos, and PDF versions of our brochure and prayer guide. If you are interested in ordering this resource, or A21 merchandise, please visit our webstore.

Thank you so much for your passionate pursuit of justice and generous support. As we continue to take steps to expand our efforts on the ground throughout Eastern Europe, we recognize that all of our efforts would not be possible without individuals around the globe taking action to see girls, like Katrina,* walk in FREEDOM.

Do you have a facebook account? The A21 Campaign is excited to announce that we are going to be launching an A21 Fan page on the 21^st of March! This is going to be a great tool to spread awareness about human trafficking and will be a place where you can post your ideas and photos, comment on our discussion board, and will be an interactive way to stay connected to the cause. In the meantime, be sure to stay connected through the A21 Facebook Cause and Twitter.