In honour of National Human Trafficking Awareness Day, London police have launched a new campaign to help people recognize the warning signs someone is a target for trafficking.
The campaign, using #KnowHumanTrafficking is trying to raise awareness about the issue and how to access support.
Research from Statistics Canada shows that girls and women make up the majority of the victims of human trafficking, accounting for 95 per cent.
Children are among those most at risk with police reporting 25 per cent of victims under the age of 18.
“We know that young girls between the ages of 11-14 are most vulnerable in relation to human trafficking,” said LPS Detective Sergeant Katherine Dann, head of the Sexual Assault and Child Abuse Section.
“The London Police Service Human Trafficking Unit is committed to supporting survivors of human trafficking and bringing the criminals involved to justice. What is equally important is our commitment to educating people so that we can prevent this crime from happening in the first place,” said Dann.
The campaign aims to help parents and young girls identify the signs that they or one of their friends is being groomed for trafficking purposes, and help parents access supports if they have concerns.