‘Trafficking in women: Tenancingo to New York’ | Documentary Review

On Tuesday, December 3, I had the opportunity to screen “Trata de mujeres: de Tenancingo a Nueva York” (Trafficking in women: Tenancingo to New York), which is an original production from the Discovery enEspañol network. This compelling documentary exposes the pervasive and heinous crime of human trafficking from the picturesque city of Tenancingo, Mexico to the streets of New York City.

This writer knows all too well how widespread the crime of commercial sexual exploitation (human trafficking) is within the US and is fully aware if the secondary exploitation of human trafficking that comes via the form of sensationalized media. Fortunately, the latter is not what one will find when viewing “Trata de mujeres: de Tenancingo a Nueva York”. If you think that it’s not your problem simply because these girls aren’t American, think again. Once a crime is committed on US soil, it is now a concern for every US citizen.

Regardless of whether you are a Spanish speaker or not, “Trata de mujeres: de Tenancingo a Nueva York” expresses the universal language of human suffering. Each year, thousands of women and girls are forced into sexual slavery from Mexico. While these girls are from all over Mexico, it is known that the majority of traffickers are located in the city of Tenancingo. In “Trata de mujeres: de Tenancingo a Nueva York” Discovery en Español’s cameras travel from this small town up to locations in New York City to uncover how innocent women and girls are lured, with promises of love and marriage, into commercial sexual exploitation (forced prostitution).

The production exposes this harsh reality through the heart-wrenching stories of Madai and Amanda, two young women who were forced to into sexual slavery when they were brought to New York City by their boyfriends, under the pretense of a vacation, only to be brutalized. Both young women were repeatedly beaten, raped, and threatened with the murder of their families who resided back in Mexico. This terrorization is standard practice for the perpetrators of human trafficking, regardless of whether the victims hail from outside the US or are American born and raised.

Madai shares, “I met Enrique in Veracruz, my hometown, when I was 17. He said he wanted to marry me. I was very naive and believed everything he told me. I immediately accepted leaving my hometown and came to Mexico City with him. Days later my boyfriend told me that I would work as a prostitute. I realized he was not joking when I received the first punch and he left the room telling me that he knew where my parents lived and if I try to speak to them or try to escape, they would be severely hurt.”

The documentary also includes interviews with a human trafficker who reveals the “secrets of his trade” to the cameras, as well as interviews with government officials such as Mexico's Anti-Trafficking Task Force Leader and Congresswoman, Rosi Orozco, and organizations on both sides of the border, as well as interviews with mothers who have spent years looking for their daughters. “Trata de mujeres: de Tenancingo a Nueva York” premieres on Sunday, December 8 at 10 p.m. on Discovery en Español.

For more information about the crime of human trafficking, please visit the Polaris Project or call the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888. Llama la línea gratuita y confidencial 1-888-373-7888: Denunciar casos de trata; Conectarse con servicios en su localidad; Pedir información o recursos en español sobre la trata de personas y la esclavitud moderna.

Angie Harmon to focus on U.S. human trafficking

Newly appointed UNICEF Ambassador Angie Harmon to focus on U.S. human trafficking 

Summary of Hershey Complaint

Reports of Abusive Child Labor Practices in West Africa

The complaint notes that as far back as 2001, reports on the systemic use of child labor, forced labor and human trafficking on cocoa farms in West Africa raised awareness of the U.S. House of Representatives to the problem. The House passed a proposed amendment to the FDA and Related Agencies Appropriations Act that would require "slave-free" labeling for cocoa products.

Before the Amendment was presented for a Senate vote, major cocoa producers, including Hershey, promised to correct these human rights abuses without need for legislation. Later that year, Hershey and the companies signed the Harkin-Engel Protocol, a compact to eliminate illegal child labor in high cocoa producing countries in West Africa.

The complaint notes that despite the adoption of the Protocol in 2001, numerous reports have revealed that its signatories have failed to comply with their obligations and that forced labor and illegal child labor remain prevalent within the industry.

Shareholders point to one study on West African child labor, conducted by Tulane University Law School through a grant from the U.S. Department of Labor, that found in 2011 that a majority of cocoa farmers and related suppliers in Ghana and the Ivory Coast employing children are having them engage in hazardous illegal work conditions. The study determined in 2010 that there was substantial evidence that West African countries violate human trafficking laws. The Ivory Coast and Ghana were both mentioned as destinations for trafficked children.

Hershey's Commitment to Children in Question

Grant & Eisenhofer's complaint details Hershey's tacit support of child labor law violations in some West African countries, despite the company branding itself as a protector of disadvantaged children, thereby continuing founder Milton Hershey's century-old legacy of commitment to consumers, communities and children.

The complaint alleges that Hershey has steadfastly refused to disclose the names of its cocoa suppliers, although its 2011 Corporate Social Responsibility Report includes Ghana and the Ivory Coast as "Major Sourcing Countries." In 2006, a separate shareholder group requested that management report on all sources of cocoa purchased, but Hershey declined to disclose information on its suppliers. According to the complaint, two years later, the board acknowledged that problems continued, noting that instances of illegal child trafficking had been found in its supply chain.

Plaintiffs argue that the Harkin-Engel Protocol has done little to eliminate child labor law violations from the West African cocoa trade. Hershey and other signatories swore commitment to implementing industry-wide standards by 2005 that cocoa products would be produced without illegal child labor. However, the company now claims it will take until 2020 to honor its obligations, announcing earlier this month that it will require eight more years to make headway in solving the problems of child labor and human trafficking on West African cocoa farms.

Hershey has previously conceded its difficulty in determining whether its suppliers are making illegal use of children, maintaining in its CSR Report that "many cocoa-growing communities are located in remote and often difficult-to-access areas." According to the complaint, Hershey has contended that West African children are often involved in daily farming activities, which are difficult to monitor.

In the complaint, Grant & Eisenhofer argues that Hershey's continued delays in certifying its products as slave-free has resulted in an erosion of the company's reputation. This past August, a group of 65 retailers sent a letter to Hershey's board voicing concerns over the company's inadequate efforts to address child and slave labor practices within their supply chain. Shareholders contend that Hershey's conduct is beginning to harm its business relationships, which could ultimately cost the company millions in profits.

Hershey Denies Latest Shareholder Requests

Grant & Eisenhofer issued its initial demand letter to Hershey on behalf of shareholders earlier this month, requesting that the company allow inspection of the minutes of any board meeting during which there was discussion of unlawful labor or trafficking in the company's supply chain, as well as compliance with the Harkin-Engel Protocol. The law firm also requested a complete list of suppliers from which Hershey has purchased cocoa over the past 10 years.

The complaint states that Hershey denied the requests. The company replied in an Oct. 12 letter that the demand was based on speculative assertions, and that the company does not "directly purchase any cocoa beans from West African farms," but that the "overwhelmingly vast majority of the cocoa materials purchased by Hershey . . . are processed cocoa products such as cocoa liquor, cocoa butter and cocoa powder which are purchased from large multi-national companies." The company further tried to deflect accountability by arguing that the cocoa beans it purchases from West Africa come through third party suppliers. Hershey continues to claim that it is doing its part to address potential human rights violations by committing to use only independently "certified" cocoa by 2020.

Mr. Eisenhofer challenged Hershey's justifications for refusing to allow inspection of the corporate records. "Astonishingly, Hershey's board continues to pass the buck," he said. "That Hershey buys most of its cocoa products from other suppliers doesn't change the obligation it undertook in 2001 to certify that its products weren't made by slave labor. The argument that Hershey's records cannot be made available because the company doesn't directly purchase beans from West African farms is absurd. Even indirect purchases of cocoa products support farms operating illegally on the backs of child labor."

He continued, "The fact that Hershey cannot commit to using 'certified' cocoa until 2020, 19 years after signing the Harkin-Engel Protocol, is tantamount to an admission that it currently doesn't use 'certified' cocoa, and is in violation of the law. We hope the court will grant our request to inspect books and records, so we can move to determine whether the board breached its fiduciary duties, and the extent to which the company is violating international child labor, forced labor and human trafficking laws and safeguards."

Human trafficking victim received Life Without Parole – Part One

Before I share the story of Sara Kruzan, I’d like to share with readers about JLWOP (Juvenile Life Without Parole) within the United States.

In the United States, a child can receive a sentence of life without parole for committing, or being present during the commission of, Class 1 or Class 2 felonies. Statistics compiled by Human Rights Watch in 2009 show that there are 2,547 children serving JLWOP in the United States. Although in May 2010 the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that juveniles could not be sentenced to life without parole for any crime other then homicide and acknowledged that juveniles must be treated differently from adults, even for heinous crimes, a “loop-hole” in the ruling allows for each state to decide for themselves. According to figures reported to the United Nations’ Convention on the Rights of the Child, there are only 12 juveniles serving the same sentence in the rest of the world. Somalia and the United States are the only two countries, belonging to the United Nations, that refuse to sign on to the United Nations’ Convention on the Rights of the Child.

Sara Jessimy Kruzan was born on January 8, 1978 in California. Kruzan grew up in Riverside, California with her drug-addicted mother, who often abused Sara. She had only met her father on a few occasions as he himself was serving a prison sentence. In spite of an abusive and unhappy home life, Sara excelled at school and was an honor student.

At the age of 11, she met 31-year-old G.G., AKA George Gilbert Howard. From the moment that Sara met G.G., he began to groom her to become a prostitute. G.G. showered Sara with gifts and the attention that she desperately needed. He told her that she was special, so very special that she should never give sex away for free. Howard groomed Sara like this for two years before he raped her. At age 13, G.G. turned her out and she began working as a child prostitute.

Sara Kruzan was 16 when she lured G.G., her former pimp into a motel room, shot and killed him and took his money. A week before the killing she had moved into a house belonging to convicted felon and suspected drug dealer, James Earl Hamilton. It was alleged that Hamilton had ordered Sara to murder Howard but a lack of evidence left Hamilton off the hook.

An evaluation conducted by California Youth Authority concluded that Sara was amenable to treatment in the juvenile justice system. The District Attorney of Riverside County opted to ignore the pleas for extenuating circumstances surrounding Kruzan's actions, and sought to have her tried in an adult court for first-degree murder.

On May 11, 1995, Sara was found guilty of first-degree murder. Judge J. Thompson Hanks described her crime as “well thought out,” stating that, “what is striking about this is the lack of moral scruple,” before sentencing her to life without parole. Sara remembers not understanding the Judge’s words of “lack of moral scruple.” But remembers understanding that her sentence meant she wasn’t ever leaving prison alive.

Kruzan, now 32 years old, understands wholly the meaning of moral scruple as evidenced by her actions in prison. Kruzan is a model prisoner in the honor dorm at Valley State Prison for Women in Chowchilla. She will soon receive her associate's degree from the nearby community college. Sara has volunteered for dozens of rehabilitation programs and won awards for her participation and attitude.

In December 2010, Governor Schwarzenegger commuted Sara’s sentence to 25 years to life in prison with the possibility of parole. As her sentence currently stands, Sara could possibly be released by the time she’s 41.

Sara murdered her former pimp in 1994. Since that time, we have learned quite a bit about the physiological aspects of a younger person’s brain, as well as, the effects of long-term physical, sexual, and psychological abuse. Sara Kruzan was not a cold-blooded killer and had the district attorney sincerely considered the evaluation by the California Youth Authority, she would have been prosecuted as a juvenile rather than as an adult, which would have put her into a rehabilitation program from which she could have been freed by age 25.

Elizabeth Calvin, a children’s rights advocate with Human Rights Watch stated, “As a society we’ve learned a lot since the time we started using life without parole for children. We now know that this sentence provides no deterrent effect. While children who commit serious crimes should be held accountable, public safety can be protected without subjecting youth to the harshest prison sentence possible.”

“Life without parole means absolutely no opportunity for release. It also means minors are often left without access to programs and rehabilitative services while in prison. This sentence was created for the worst of criminals that have no possibility of reform and it is not a humane way to handle children. While the crimes they committed caused undeniable suffering, these youth offenders are not the worst of the worst.” Said Senator Leland Y. Yee, Ph.D. (D-CA).

Sara Kruzan has spent all of her adult life in prison. As evidenced by California’s own Youth Authority, she should never have been sentenced as an adult. We as a society need to force those in positions of power to review each and every aspect of a juvenile case. There simply is no “one size fits all” where our children are concerned. Sara was raped by her pedophile pimp and raped again by the California Justice System.

Human trafficking victim received LWOP – Part Two

In early March 2011, I wrote an article, “Human trafficking victim received Life Without Parole,” it is the story of Sara Kruzan. Since that time in early March, I have learned much about the heinous crime of human trafficking, the prevalence of convicting our children to Life Without Parole (LWOP or JLWOP) and about Sara Kruzan.

A brief recap of Sara’s story is difficult, but this writer will try. Sara Kruzan was a smart kid, she earned good grades despite an abusive, and drug addicted mother and an incarcerated father. At age 11, Sara met George Gilbert Howard, aka, G.G., who was 20 years her senior. G.G. began to indoctrinate Sara from the moment that they’d met. He took Sara and her friend’s roller-skating and to the mall. It wasn’t long after that G.G. took Sara to a far darker place. He raped her and continued to groom her for a life of commercial sexual exploitation, in laymen’s terms, child prostitution.

At the age of 13, Sara began to be commercially sexually exploited, in 1994 at age 16 after George Gilbert Howard attempted to rape her yet again, Sara shot and killed him. For this act of self-defense and in spite of the California Youth Authority’s recommendation that Sara was amenable to treatment within the juvenile justice system, Sara Jessimy Kruzan was tried as an adult and sentenced to LWOP.

Since that time, we have learned quite a bit about the physiological aspects of a younger person’s brain, as well as, the effects of long-term physical, sexual and psychological abuse. Sara has made extremely good use of her time during her incarceration. She has helped other inmates, has been commended for being a model prisoner, and recently earned her bachelor’s degree.

In December 2010, former Governor Schwarzenegger commuted Sara’s sentence to 25 years to life in prison with the possibility of parole. As her sentence currently stands, Sara could possibly be released by the time she’s 45. Sara, now 34 years old, has spent more than half of her life in a brick and mortar prison. Her commuted sentence could be considered a gift, but perhaps what we, as a society, need to do is push for full clemency.

Please take a few moments to watch Sara speak about her life. For information on how you can help Sara, please visit Free Sara Kruzan.

Sara’s Own Words and How You Can Help

Are you moved to take action on behalf of one human being? We cannot right every wrong, but when we have the opportunity to right one, just one, we cannot idly stand by and do nothing.

From the Facebook page of  Twitter-Facebook Call2Action for Sara Kruzan

Dear Freedom Fighters,

While we wait for Riverside DA Paul Zellerbach to make a decision on Sara's case, (September 18, 2012) Here's how you can help in 1 minute or less to help bring awareness to Sara Kruzan's case and help fight for her freedom.

Tuesdays are Team Sara's dedicated day to Tweet on behalf of Sara. Follow us @FreeSaraKruzan and include us with the hash tag #FreeSaraKruzan in your Tweets.

Copy&Paste then send the following Tweets:

RT  @RivCoCA -- Riverside DA Zellerback to state your support in his decision to #FreeSaraKruzan 9.18 with time served.

RT  @oprah @barackobama @rivcoda @freesarakruzan thank you for your support #freesarakruzan

@KamalaHarris @JerryBrownGov #FreeSaraKruzan #TimeServed @freesarakruzan

@BarackObama @AmbassadorRice #FreeSaraKruzan #TimeServed @FreeSaraKruzan

@KamalaHarris Free Sara Kruzan Now!  (Time Served.) #FreeSaraKruzan

@JerryBrownGov Free Sara Kruzan Now! (Time Served.) #FreeSaraKruzan

More Links To Free Sara:

www.IamSJK.com 

www.freesarakruzan.org

www.facebook.com/forcesforsara

www.facebook.com/groups/freesarakruzan/

Eight Indicted for Sex Trafficking Teenage Girls

Most Victims were Under 18 and were Recruited from Inland Empire Schools

A federal grand jury has indicted eight people, four of whom allegedly are members of a South Los Angeles street gang, on charges related to the sex trafficking of teenage girls who were recruited and groomed to work as prostitutes across Southern California.

Six of the defendants were arrested on August 9 by members of the Inland Child Exploitation/Prostitution Task Force, which is comprised of agents, deputies, and officers with the FBI; the Riverside County, California Sheriff’s Department; Riverside Police Department; San Bernardino, California Police Department; Pomona, California Police Department; and Ontario, California Police Department. The other two defendants are already in state custody.

A grand jury on August 1, 2012, returned an 18-count indictment that accuses seven of the defendants of conspiring to engage in the sex trafficking of seven teenage girls, six of whom were under the age of 18. The indictment alleges that “force, threats of force, fraud, and coercion would be used to cause the victims to engage in commercial sex acts.”

In court documents asking that each of the defendants be held without bond, prosecutors contend “that the defendants conspired to, and did, recruit, employ, and use minors as prostitutes for their own financial gain. The defendants preyed on vulnerable victims, forced them to become prostitutes, and verbally and physically abused them when they did not perform as required.”

The defendants named in the indictment are:

• Paul Edward Bell, who used multiple monikers, including “J-Roc,” 27, of Lynwood, California, who allegedly is a member of the Rolling 60s Crips street gang;
• Samuel Rogers, aka “Bone,” 22, of Moreno Valley, California, another alleged member of the Rolling 60s.
• Gary Rogers, who uses monikers such as “G-Man,” 23, of Moreno Valley, who also is an alleged member of the street gang and is Samuel Rogers’s brother.
• Christopher Weldon, who is also known by several names, including “Chris Roc,” 22, of Compton, California, the fourth alleged Rolling 60s member named in the indictment who is Bell’s half-brother.
• Javiya Brooks, who is also known by several permutations of “Shady Blue,” 19, of Lynwood, who was the lead prostitute for Bell.
• Kimberly Alberti, who is also known as “Pucca,” 19, of Riverside, who was the lead prostitute for Samuel Rogers.
• Kristy Harrell, 20, of Riverside, who is Gary Rogers’s lead prostitute.
• Su Yan, 30, of Rosemead, California, a Chinese national who allegedly assisted Bell with his prostitution business.

The indictment charges seven of the defendants with conspiracy to engage in sex trafficking. Six of the defendants - Bell, Samuel Rogers, Gary Rogers, Weldon, Brooks, and Harrell - are also charged with at least one substantive count of sex trafficking. Samuel Rogers, for example, is charged with six substantive counts of sex trafficking. The substantive sex trafficking charges each carry a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison and a potential sentence of life without parole. The indictment also charges Bell with being a felon in possession of a firearm. Yan is named in one count that alleges interstate transportation in aid of a racketeering enterprise.

The investigation in this case began in January 2011, when the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department learned that teenage girls attending schools in the Inland Empire were being recruited to work as prostitutes. The investigation later revealed that Alberti attended one of the schools and recruited underage females by “grooming them,” gaining their trust and telling them that they could make large sums of money by working as prostitutes for Alberti’s pimp, according to court documents. 

The girls who were successfully prostituted were brought to the Los Angeles area, where they were housed at hotels or at the pimps’ apartments. Some of the prostituted victims were housed at Bell’s apartment. The Rogers brothers and Bell also often housed the prostituted victims at motels located in the Los Angeles area. In a motion seeking the detention of the defendants, prosecutors argue that the alleged pimps “assaulted several of the victims in this case by beating them, raping them, and keeping them locked up.”