Human Trafficking : The Sexual Exploitation of Women and Children

This article analyzes the existing legislation related to human trafficking in and around the United Kingdom, with an emphasis on human trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation of women and children. The author contextualizes the issue by providing a statistical overview of human trafficking before outlining the current United Kingdom, European Union and international legislation. The author then examines two main perspectives of the crime, the first as transnational organized crime and the second as contemporary slavery. The final section focuses on how victims are viewed by the United Kingdom government and the vital role NGOs play in supporting victims. The article concludes by proposing that in order to secure protection for victims, the legislation should view human trafficking for sexual exploitation as contemporary slavery.