Record Payout awarded to sexual abuse victims in India is an article written by Suhasini Raj and Emily Schmall and published in The New York Times on January 28, 2022. The article presents an account of criminal activities undertaken by the director and staff workers of a homeless shelter for girls in Muzaffarpur, Bihar, India. The shelter employees have been reported to physically assault and sexually abuse the residents of the shelter since its opening in 2013. The activities were first uncovered “during the Bihar government’s first independent audit of its social welfare institutions” (Raj & Schmall, 2022, par. 9). 19 officials and employees, including Brajesh Thakur, the director of the shelter, were convicted as a result of the federal investigation. He and 11 other defendants were sentenced to life imprisonment in 2020, and the victims of abuse have received compensations “between $4,000 and $12,000 apiece” (Raj & Schmall, 2022, par. 8). There is an ongoing epidemic of sexual abuse reported in India, but the case of this shelter has been considered to be the most striking so far due to a large number of victims.
Addressing the issue of sex trafficking now is extremely important all over the world, as trafficking in persons has become one of the most topical global concerns and serious threats to public health. Two types of human trafficking are labor and sex trafficking, and individuals of any race, gender, or religion can become the victims of it. However, the groups considered most at risk include “people experiencing homelessness, children and teenagers involved in the foster care and juvenile justice systems, migrant workers, and different minority groups” (U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, n.d., par. 3). The research conducted recently on the number of victims of sexual exploitation worldwide has estimated that there are about “24.9 million victims” working in both “legal and illicit industries and sectors” (U.S. Department of State, 2021, par. 3). The percentage is particularly striking in India, Pakistan, China, and Bangladesh.
Public health and sustainability are closely related to sex trafficking, and effective policies to eliminate this threat as well as help the victims of exploitation are essential to ensure the successful accomplishment of Sustainable Development Goals. The following goals in particular are influenced by the issue of sex trafficking:
- Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages;
- Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls;
- Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable (World Health Organization. 2021, par. 2).
Sex trafficking directly affects population health due to several reasons. First, it accelerates the spread of sexually transmitted diseases, such as AIDS, as well as causes rectal trauma and urinary difficulties (Public health approach, n.d.). In addition, it can cause pregnancy as a result of rape or prostitution. Other horrific problems caused by sex trafficking include unsafe abortion and infections resulting from unsanitary conditions the victims had to live in or medical procedures conducted while they were forced to engage in sexual activities. All these conditions often cause infertility, chronic pains, and diseases, and can result in death (“Public health approach,” n.d.). Therefore, the facts and outcomes mentioned above are closely related to the concepts of population health and public safety. Governments worldwide understand the utmost urgency of the problem, and policies are constantly developed and improved to eliminate this threat.
References
Public health approach. (n.d.). National Human Trafficking Training and Technical Assistance Center. Web.
Raj, S., & Schmall, E. (2022).Record Payout awarded to sexual abuse victims in India. The New York Times – Breaking News, US News, World News and Videos. Web.
U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. (n.d.). What is human trafficking? Office on Trafficking in Persons. Web.
U.S. Department of State. (2021). About human trafficking. Web.
World Health Organization. (2020).Sustainable development goals. WHO. Web.