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HUMAN TRAFFICKING: ‘The white van that slows down in my parish in the middle of the day . . .’

Synod chamber with poster showing young woman curled up as if in a sardine can © not advert
Synod chamber with poster showing young woman curled up as if in a sardine can

THE SYNOD expressed concern over human trafficking for prostitution, particularly in view of a possible increase associated with the Olym­ics in London in 2012.

First it received a presentation from Canon Michael Webb (New­castle), including a film, on behalf of Newcastle and Winchester dioceses, to introduce a Newcastle diocesan-synod motion that urged the Church to support the work of those who sought to end the traffic and rescue those trapped in it.

The motion linked the move to the celebration of the centenary of the death of the social reformer Jose­phine Butler, remembered in the calen­dar on 30 May, who had lived and worked in both the dioceses of Newcastle and Winchester. “Her great crusade against sexual exploitation remains unfinished business.”

Criminal gangs boasted that “they could have a virgin from one of the Baltic states trafficked into Britain in two weeks,” he said. “We are asking for a clear and unequivocal statement of our opposition to the evils of human trafficking, for whatever pur­pose, with all the suffering and rape, vio­lence, and loss of liberty that it entails.”

The coming Olympic Games in London 2012 could provide an opportunity for people to be traf­ficked into Britain “to service the punters”, he said. Great sporting events had seen an increase in human trafficking. The Government was ddressing this issue through its UK action plan. “We hope Synod will add its voice in support.”

The Revd Sarah Chapman (Win­chester) spoke of “the white van that slows down in my parish in the middle of the day to pick up a young girl and take her off for paid sex somewhere, in the back of the van”. The Christian view of sexual union as a sacrament “is very far from paying for sex in the same way one might pay for a drink or for a meal”.

In this motion, she said, “we are engaging in the brokenness of sexual relationships, that brokenness which gives us the images of women wrap­ped in cling film, waiting for their fate, naked and vulnerable and help­less.” Pictures of naked young women, wrapped up as though they were in a tin of sardines, appeared on large screens in the chamber.

A member of the Human Traffick­ing Centre, Ron Craigie, said that, although the trafficking of women for sexual purposes was the most publicised form of the trade, many children were trafficked into the UK for begging, benefit frauds, cannabis cultivation, and theft, pickpocketing, and burglary. “They are controlled as in Dickensian days by adults who benefit from the spoils.

“One of the most terrifying things to me is internal child trafficking. UK indigenous children as young as 12 are being groomed by men to perform sexual acts for groups of their friends or clients.”

The Synod heard the story of Maria, who was told that she would be a model and whose parents were assured of her safety. She was traf­ficked, raped, exploited, and now dared not go home for shame about what had happened to her. “There are more slaves in the world today than there were when Wilberforce began his campaign,” Mr Craigie said.

After Canon Webb had moved his motion, Canon Simon Butler (South­wark) spoke of the part that indi­vidual parishes and deaneries could play in fighting the evil of trafficking. They were uniquely placed to find out local information, and campaigns like Southwark’s own churches’ commit­tee against trafficking had had success in persuading local newspapers, for instance, to withdraw advertisements linked with trafficking from their classified section.

John Scrivener (Chester) was concerned, as many others were, that opposition to prostitution per se did not drive the programme. Save the Children was one organisation worried about the historical correla­tion of trafficking and prostitution in the public understanding. Consen­sual prostitution must not be con­fused with trafficking. “This is not about prostitution, but about traf­ficking, abuse, and disgrace,” he said.

The Bishop of Willesden, the Rt Revd Pete Broadbent, called for practicality in what was done to counter the abuse. What could churches actually do? Energising the minds of young people was one thing: this generation was very aware that this was an evil needing addressing, and very willing to sign up to campaigns on Facebook, for example.

There was a big educational resource on the Stop the Trafficking website, he said. He would like to see churches take up the campaign in the same way as they had supported Fairtrade. It should also be made clear what part the government had to play. Action plans often did not get carried through, and the Govern­ment must be held to account. He urged: “Let’s get our hearts and minds involved in this.”

The Revd Mark Sowerby (Ripon & Leeds) spoke to his amendment, which sought to insert as an extra paragraph that the Synod “recognise and deplore the male abuse of women, which is the root cause of this evil trade”.

“We still prefer to blame sex workers rather than . . . those fuelling the huge and lucrative trade by paying for sex,” Canon Sowerby said.

Dr Elaine Storkey (Ely) drew attention to the global as well as local character of trafficking. She spoke of horrific scenes of carnage, rape, and violence towards women in the Congo, and the stories of “degrada­tion and agony” which she had heard on her travels, as president of Tearfund. Police officers she had ques­tioned had denied such abuses hap­pened — “women will tell you these stories” — or had conceded: “Maybe women are sold and raped occa­sionally, and maybe women ask for it.”

Prudence Dailey (Oxford) agreed with the thrust of Mr Sowerby’s amendment, but felt that it over-generalised the situation of many types of trafficking. They sometimes demonstrated not so much male abuse, but “man’s inhumanity to man”. As phrased, the amendment implied that “all men are bastards”, she suggested.

Mr Sowerby’s amendment was lost by 114 votes to 95, with 12 recorded ab­stentions.

Canon Ann Turner (Europe) moved her amendment, which asked the Synod to “request the Archbishops’ Council to explore the possibility of affiliating with the United Kingdom Human Trafficking Centre in order to combat this traffic as an urgent priority”. Europe’s 270 congregations spanned many coun­tries concerned about human traf­ficking. Greece was one of the top nine destinations for trafficking not just of women, but also of babies, and babies for the harvesting of virgins.

Seventy-eight per cent of women trafficked came from central and eastern Europe. Albania had in the past been the main place for traffic and forced labour. The churches in the diocese in Europe were often able to punch above their weight if the Church of England were seen to be championing the issue.

Canon Turner’s amendment was carried.

The Bishop in Europe, Dr Geoffrey Rowell, said that the issue went right across ministry in Europe, and he heard the stories first-hand on his travels. Endemic poverty was causing women to sell babies to traf­fickers before they were even born, he told the Synod. He hoped that this “vile and degrading trade” could be eradicated.

The Revd Dr Jane Craske (Methodist Church) spoke as a trustee of the Josephine Butler Memorial Trust. Theological work needed to be done about what created the potential for these trag­edies — anthro­­pology, sexuality, and gender — and called for a deeper level of response.

The vote on the main motion as amended was carried nem. con. It read:

That this Synod, in celebrating the centenary of the death of Josephine Butler, who is remembered in the Calendar on 30 May,

(a) recognise and deplore the con­tinuing evil of human trafficking, especially of children and young people;

(b) urge the Church of England to sup­port the work of those who seek to end the traffic and rescue those trapped in it;

(c) support the vigorous implementa­tion of UK Action Plan on Tackling Human Trafficking, and in particular, call on HM Government to ensure that effective measures are in place to prevent sex workers being trafficked into Britain during the 2012 Olympics; and

(d) request the Archbishops’ Council to explore the possibility of affiliating to the United Kingdom Human Traf­ficking Centre in order to combat this traffic as an urgent priority.



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