Protecting children caught up in sex trade: 2011 legislature passed Safe Harbor — 2013 needs to put resources in place
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For years, children who have been caught in the vicious cycle of sex trafficking and prostitution were lost in the shuffle of the juvenile justice system and penalized as offenders. However, in 2011, that changed with the enactment of Minnesota’s Safe Harbor legislation. Designed to protect children, Safe Harbor 2011 provides that children involved in sex trade will be protected and receive the services and support they need, rather than being treated as criminals. Human rights advocates, prosecutors, law enforcement and other social service agencies participated in a mandated stakeholder engagement process, which resulted in this effort to create a model that would protect the rights of children. The law has not been fully implemented — provision of resources is the task of this year’s legislature.The Safe Harbor law changed the definition of “delinquent child” under Minnesota law by excluding children under the age of 16 who are sexually exploited. Continue Reading