Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes issues the following statement to bring attention to January as National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month, placing additional emphasis on this important issue and underscoring his role as Attorney General to educate and protect Utah’s citizenry:
“Having witnessed its savagery and the resulting suffering up close, I can attest that human trafficking robs its victims of innocence, dignity and often hope. In turn, it fills them with terrible pain and shame. It is a flagrant violation of human rights and a despicable crime of terror.
“It is critical that every American understands that human trafficking is pervasive. It is can be present in any community — big cities, rural towns and everywhere in between. And it is indiscriminate in its victimization of people of all backgrounds regardless of wealth or station. We need to protect our young and most vulnerable citizens.
“For this reason, I have made the eradication of human trafficking a priority in my administration. And we need the help of all citizens who value virtue and freedom. This is not a Democrat or Republican issue but a humanitarian one.
“I appreciate the President’s proclamation of January as ‘National Slavery and Trafficking Prevention’ month. It is critical for Utah and all states to work even more closely with law enforcement, various first responders and the communities who come in contact with human trafficking victims to combat modern-day slavery. I invite all Utahns to get involved in the fight against human trafficking.”
