Anglican Communion News Service

A leading advocate of women caught in sex trafficking has challenged the Anglican Church to take a far more public role in standing up for women caught in activity that is about “survival, not sexual misconduct”.

Dr Carrie Pemberton, voluntary Executive Officer of the new anti-trafficking project CHASTE (Churches Alert to Sex Trafficking Across Europe) told a session of the Spouses’ Conference on Saturday that the majority of the estimated 80,000 individuals caught in prostitution in the United Kingdom were recruited before their 18^th birthdays. Many of them were lured or deceived into prostitution through drugs and alcohol, and were kept there by threats of violence, shame and addiction.

The church needed to recognise the example of Jesus’ ministry when dealing with the blight of prostitution, she said, but apart from moralising about the women involved in the industry, was largely silent on the issue.

“Start thinking about Jesus liberating the woman who had a poor reputation … who broke open the alabaster jar of ointment. Jesus said wherever he was talked about in the world, this woman and her history would be remembered. Well, you won’t hear much about her in the days to come in the main conference. That’s a pity because the abuse going on of women and children, boys and girls, worldwide in this way runs into millions and millions of broken and shattered lives.”

Dr Pemberton believes that addressing the demand for prostitutes is key to alleviating the damaging effects of prostitution, which can be far reaching in terms of mental and physical health and emotional and sexual wellbeing, even many years following their exit from the activity.

Those attending her session shared how prostitution was impacting on the lives of the young women and families in their regions, from HIV infection to the abandonment of children, and the roles that local churches are playing around the world in education and the provision of safe places for women to escape prostitution.

Dr Pemberton is encouraging church communities at the very least to take part in the annual “Not For Sale Sunday” in May each year.

For more information on the work of CHASTE, visit www.chaste.org.uk/

Staff writer