In at least a dozen states, attorneys general are not even authorized to pursue human trafficking charges. The study that found a 45% conviction rate also found that 72% of human trafficking cases that were examined did lead to some sort of conviction. The AP asked state attorneys general or other state agencies for tallies of human trafficking prosecutions, human trafficking convictions and convictions on other charges in their states since their local law was enacted. But the AP’s review does suggest there have been many hundreds of prosecutions for human trafficking nationally, but relatively few convictions, let alone for human trafficking crimes. Some states should consider giving their attorneys general authority to prosecute human trafficking cases, suggested Julie Dahlstrom, a law professor who heads Boston University’s Immigrants’ Rights & Human Trafficking Program.

Source: National Post May 26, 2019 16:52 UTC