Modern slavery, defined by the NHS as ‘the recruitment, movement, harbouring or receiving of children, women or men through the use of force, coercion, abuse of vulnerability, deception or other means for the purpose of exploitation’, is thriving in the UK.
The Home Office estimate that there are currently ‘over 13,000 victims and survivors of modern slavery in the UK; 55% of these are female and 35% of all victims are trafficked for sexual exploitation’.
Given the scale of the problem, it is essential that children and family practitioners are familiar with this developing area of law.
Suitable for trainee and qualified practitioners alike, this introductory bite-size session will ensure that viewers understand what modern slavery and human trafficking is, as outlined within the Modern Slavery Act 2015.
Solicitor and lecturer Safda Mahmood will examine key sections of the Modern Slavery Act 2015, a crucial piece of legislation which not only consolidated existing slavery offences thereby making it easier to prosecute traffickers but also increased sentences for slavery offences.
In addition, Safda will explore when a child is the victim of trafficking and how their inability to give consent removes the need for violence, coercion or deception to be present in order to prove an offence. The Modern Slavery Act 2015’s introduction of child trafficking advocates to better protect trafficked children will also be discussed.