April McCoig and Victoria Butler from Thames Valley Police gave us the local statistics: 2500 slaves in their area, around 12,000 nationally of which only 289 cases had come to court. Slaves might be forced into street crime, benefit fraud or drug running. They could be providing unpaid labour in factories, on building sites or in the fields. There were many in domestic servitude---they are the hardest to spot---and of course sexual exploitation is rife. The officers encouraged everyone to be vigilant and to ask themselves why articles or services could be so cheap and to report anything that didn’t look right.
An account of the work of the Salvation Army followed. It provides accommodation, psychological and physical support to victims and undertakes to transport people to safe houses and gives positive help in starting a new life. Reverend Tim Norwood spoke of the work of the Clewer Initiative “We see you” which provides materials for schools to help them to recognise the dangers of being co-erced into acts of crime.
Liz Gough then described some of the work that she and her husband had been doing in Greece with victims trafficked to the beaches and across Europe lured by the prospect of jobs and a better life. They are then beaten into submission and made completely dependent on their slave masters by emotional manipulation and fear of repercussions for their families back home.
There followed a table activity on what we thought the WI could do about the information which we had heard and we were promised that some of the ideas thrown up would be considered for action.
An informative but depressing afternoon was experienced by all. Man’s inhumanity to Man never ceases to appal. However, we were glad to have attended and promised to spread the word.