Lawmakers are considering a bill that would protect victims of sex trafficking from criminal charges if they seek help from law enforcement or medical assistance.
Amy Zhao is with the Imua Alliance, a service provider for victims of sex trafficking. She said immunity from prosecution would empower victims to speak out about their experience.
"Right now, our state's laws allow sex traffickers to silence victims of exploitation," Zhao said. "Traffickers often tell their victims that if they speak up to law enforcement about the sexual exploitation they are enduring, they'll be tried and detained for prostitution. So this loophole in our state law enables a false narrative that traps victims in sexual servitude and denies justice to young girls who are trafficked for sex."
Most of the testimony in support of the measure wrote that the protections in the bill would give victims a sense of security and safety
The bill compares sex trafficking to “modern-day slavery,” and notes that this issue disproportionately impacts Native Hawaiian women. It estimates that there are over 74,000 potential sex buyers in Hawaiʻi.
The bill will be heard next by the full House.
