(11 June 2013)- Child prostitutes will be considered
victims of abuse rather than juvenile offenders and be referred to child
welfare officials under legislation in Congress that aims to extend care to
them before they become entwined in the criminal justice system. During a
Senate Finance Committee hearing on Tuesday, June 11, 2013, Sen. Ron Wyden,
D-Ore., said “In much of the country today if a
girl is found in the custody of a so-called pimp she is not considered to be a
victim of abuse, and that's just wrong and defies common sense.” The
legislation, co-sponsored by Wyden and Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, would require
state law enforcement, foster care and child welfare programs to identify
children lured into sex trafficking as victims of abuse and neglect eligible
for the appropriate protections and services.
