Officials in Sudbury warn of human trafficking dangers
Note: Some of the details in this story may be upsetting to some readers.
For Lynda Harlos, the devastating trauma of human trafficking isn't just something on the news; it's a reality after her daughter became a victim.
“My daughter ended up being gang raped at a party that she went to, ended up getting pregnant due to that rape and became very vulnerable because most of the community and some of her family and friends didn’t believe her," said Harlos, who runs Parent with Purpose blog.
"And along came a man in her life that saw those vulnerabilities in her and decided he was going to be there and doing everything for her."
It was an experience that impacted the entire family.
“We tend to think that these kinds of things don’t happen to us, it’s not going to happen to us, and evil is out in the world and bad things are going to happen regardless of how good your family is,” she said.
Harlos said not only did it change her daughter’s life, but everyone in the family.
“Being a secondary victim of anything is tough and I don’t think we realize until we are a secondary victim how tough it is," she said. "And I can tell you one of the most humbling things for me is the day my daughter told me that I had a right to cry and be upset."
Now, Harlos is speaking out to help make sure other families don’t experience similar situations.
On Thursday, the Greater Sudbury Police Service and Sudbury and Area Victim Services will hold a Human Trafficking Parent Educational Engagement Session in the city. Harlos will be there to share her story, answer questions and offer guidance.
“We realized that there was three main things that we missed in raising her,” she said of her daughter.
“We didn’t understand what sex trafficking was, we didn’t understand how vulnerable that rape had actually caused her to be -- which made her a perfect target for a trafficker -- and we hadn’t realized or even truly understood what true consent is.”
Human trafficking is an issue worldwide, but here in the north, there is something that traffickers focus on: convincing the victim they want a romantic relationship.
“It’s a very unique issue in northern Ontario,” said Nicole St. Jean with Sudbury and Area Victim Services.
“The type of trafficking that we’re seeing where we have individuals that are grooming and luring youth through the promise of a relationship. We see a lot of what we would call boyfriend or Romeo pimps, where they’re luring these youth with the promise of love and affection.”
St. Jean said it’s extremely hard to get an accurate count on how many human trafficking cases there are in the north. She said many victims don’t even realize what is happening, but the numbers that have been collected are high.
“For us here at Sudbury and Area Victim Services, we’re seeing cases on a weekly basis,” she said. “We usually have one or two referrals and in the last year alone, we’ve had over 80 cases come through our office.”
Organizers hope the information session Thursday will be a step toward keeping children safe.
“We’re going to talk about various signs that may indicate that someone you know is being trafficked or is at risk of being trafficked,” said St. Jean.
“So red flags to look for, conversations to have. We’re also going to be explaining what human trafficking is and really breaking it down so that it is something tangible and makes sense for our community.”
She said it can be scary to talk to children about such a serious subject, and they hope to help parents find approaches that work for them.
"We're hoping that on Thursday when we have this engagement session, we’re going to empower parents in the community with the knowledge they need to be comfortable to bring that knowledge back home to their own families.”
The information session for parents and guardians is being held at the Steelworkers Hall on Brady Street between 6-8 p.m. Proof of vaccination is required, but people can also join virtually.
Those interested in attending were asked to RSVP to Julia.kinna@gsps.ca by Oct. 15. However, St. Jean said they are still accepting more parents.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING NDP motion regarding Palestinian statehood passes after major Liberal alterations
A motion from the federal New Democrats initially calling on Canada to recognize the 'State of Palestine' passed amid widespread acrimony on Monday, after the Liberals drastically altered its wording to see the government simply work towards that aim as part of a two-state solution.
'He didn't want to die': Family of Calgary man killed in standoff speaks out
Family of a Calgary man killed after a 30-hour standoff with police last week are speaking out, sharing details of the tense and heart-wrenching experience.
Toronto family doctor who called patient's body 'perfect' suspended for 3 months: tribunal
A family doctor in Toronto has been suspended for three months after a disciplinary tribunal found that he failed to follow proper protocols while examining a patient's breasts and made inappropriate comments about her body.
Ohio mom who left toddler alone 10 days when she went on vacation pleads guilty to aggravated murder
An Ohio mother whose 16-month-old daughter died after being left home alone in a playpen for 10 days last summer while she went on vacation was sentenced Monday to life in prison with no chance of parole.
Retired teacher pleads guilty to paying for sex with 15-year-old in Collingwood, Ont.
In a Barrie courtroom on Monday, a retired high school teacher from the Niagara Region pleaded guilty to sexual touching and obtaining sexual services from a 15-year-old boy in Collingwood in 2021.
Hertz CEO out following electric car 'horror show'
The company, which announced in January it was selling 20,000 of the electric vehicles in its fleet, or about a third of the EVs it owned, is now replacing the CEO who helped build up that fleet, giving it the company’s fifth boss in just four years.
5 charged in Calgary kidnappings that targeted women
Calgary police have charged five men in a pair of kidnappings last year that targeted innocent victims.
Demand soars for solar eclipse glasses in Canada. Are they worth buying?
The demand for total solar eclipse glasses used to safely view the rare celestial event has been ramping up as sellers, along with astronomy and eye-care experts in Canada, warn that viewing the eclipse with the naked eye is dangerous.
Canadian commander of volunteer fighter group dies in Ukraine
A Canadian-born commander of the so-called Norman Brigade, a volunteer fighting group in Ukraine, has died.