Speaking from the Sojourner Family Peace Center in Milwaukee, Attorney General Brad Schimel recognized January as Human Trafficking Awareness Month and delivered a stern warning for those perpetrating this dehumanizing act. 

"Here’s a message to all the Johns, those who are creating the demand for this modern day slavery:  we’re coming for you," said Attorney General Schimel. "Right now, law enforcement in all corners of the state are being trained to identify, investigate and prosecute human trafficking. The only reason human trafficking exists is there’s a demand for buying sex. Without this demand, there would be no reason for traffickers to exploit victims in this way. "

Human trafficking, an insidious crime that isolates victims and exploits them for profit, is happening here in Wisconsin. In a 2013 DOJ assessment, law enforcement in nearly every county in the state reported that human trafficking occurs in their community. One form of trafficking, sex trafficking, is affecting hundreds of adults and children each and every year in Wisconsin.

Attorney General Schimel, through his Crime Victims Council, has assembled a team of police officers, prosecutors, social workers, educators, crime victim service providers, legal professionals and community groups, to stamp out human trafficking in Wisconsin. These professionals, in addition to aggregating existing resources for victims of human trafficking, are advocating for and building coalitions to provide additional services needed by the victims of this tragic crime.

The multi-disciplinary team of professionals at the Sojourner Family Peace Center, a facility that ensures the safety of victims of family violence and provides an array of support aimed at helping families affected by domestic violence achieve safety, justice and well-being, are doing remarkable work to address violence in the community, including violence connected to human trafficking.