Human Trafficking Working Group visits Far North Queensland

In response to recent cases of human trafficking in Far North Queensland, UQ researchers are visiting Townsville and Cairns this week to investigate and present preliminary findings at public forums. The Cairns public forum is tonight.

The TC Beirne School of Law’s Human Trafficking Working Group headed by Dr Andreas Schloenhardt has been working with government agencies, non government organisations and advocacy groups to identify and analyse reported and suspected cases of human trafficking in Australia.

Of particular interest are reports about a married couple from Weipa, who recently appealed against their conviction for slavery and sexual servitude offences. The couple was convicted of arranging the marriage of a woman from the Philippines, bringing her to Australia to work in their shop and as a domestic helper in their private home. When the woman arrived in Australia, she was held in a Cairns motel for several days and repeatedly raped.

The working group examines the pattern and criminology of trafficking in persons, relevant criminal offences relating to trafficking in persons and sexual servitude, the immigration status and legal protection provided to both lawful and unlawful foreign sex workers, and the effectiveness of Government regulation of the sex industry in Australia in this context.

Based on these findings, the response by national, state, and territory governments will be critically evaluated. Global initiatives and best practices to confront trafficking in persons, especially those developed by the United Nations are drawn upon to propose recommendations for policy change and law reform.

The project is a joint initiative of the TC Beirne School of Law at The University of Queensland, and the Centre of International Relations at The University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada.

The public forums are supported by the Queensland Law Society. One has been held this week in Townsville and the second forum is tonight (February 6) from 5pm to 7pm at MacDonnells Law, Corner Shields and Grafton Street, Cairns.

Media Enquiries to: Andreas Schloenhardt (phone 0438 303 442). For further information visit www.law.uq.edu.au/humantrafficking.

For further information:
Teola Marsh, Acting Marketing Manager, TC Beirne School of Law
The University of Queensland
www.law.uq.edu.au
t.marsh@law.uq.edu.au
P: 07 3365 2523