Lawmakers are currently considering a proposal that would expand the Trafficking Victims Prevention and Protection Act (TVPA) enacted in 2000. This bill has both Republican and Democratic support as it is an immensely important act. Part of the process of getting this bill passed, which would ramp up the protections in the law, included New Jersey native Gina Cavallo’s testimony that she gave before a Members of the House subcommittee. Gina explains her harrowing experience and communicates to the members of the committee why she believes the proposed legislation, which is expected to ramp up resources for survivors and to hold predators even more accountable, is necessary:

“For nearly two years from the age of 18, I was prostituted and sold to the highest bidder and raped over and over again. Being stripped of your mind, your body, your dignity, your respect, your humanity. I became a commodity to be used for others’ gain.”

In addition to Gina’s powerful testimony, Robert Lung, who is now a successful judge in Colorado, also shared his experience:

“I survived physical abuse, sexual abuse, mental and emotional abuse, sex trafficking, and torture over more than 13 years of my childhood. I need you to look at our faces. Faces of these survivors, not as if we are strangers with no connection to you. I need you to imagine instead that seated here are your sons and your daughters, your children needing this help.”

Powerful Message

The powerful message shared by both victims before the committee was hopefully exactly what was needed to sway lawmakers toward expanding the bill and its protection efforts. Saved in America works every day to find and rescue missing and exploited children before they can become the victims of human trafficking. We understand the dangers of the industry and applaud any lawmakers who are willing to beef up protections for victims as well as make it harder for predators to get out of jail when convicted of these crimes. We also applaud the victims who courageously shared their stories with the committee to bring a real-life face to the horrors of the industry. Every year, tens of millions of people around the world are victimized by human trafficking and anything that can be done to reduce these numbers is a great idea.