REGINA -- Activists gathered outside the Court of Queen’s Bench on Saturday afternoon to raise awareness to the horrors of child trafficking.
March organizer Samantha Rombaot wants to see stiffer penalties and more jail time for people convicted of child sex acts.
“There’s no justice for these children and it is enough. There is many of us who can speak out for those that are silent,” she said.
The group then marched down Albert Street to the Legislative Building for a rally.
In May, the Alberta provincial government implemented the Protecting Survivors of Human Trafficking Act which aims at protecting vulnerable Albertans at-risk of being trafficked.
On Friday, Mister of Justice Don Morgan said, ‘the ministry will review the Alberta bill with a mind to develop similar legislation in Saskatchewan.’
Rombaot does not think that is enough.
“To eliminate [this problem], we need to mobilize comparable to this crisis itself,” she said. “Can you agree that we can do more than just one little bill?”
Local models Andrianna Haswell and Ariana Donovan created the Regina Model Safe group on Facebook as a way for models to gain information about black listed photographers in the province and keep themselves safe.
Haswell says most new models don’t know these lists are available and need to ask to get access to them, she wants to see those lists be public for everyone.
“In the states, you are able to view a local sex offender list. Here in Canada, it’s not as easily accessible,” said Haswell. “If there was a law to pass here in Saskatchewan that it was easily accessible us, we would make that a little more known to make sure that everybody is staying safe.”
Donovan feels the onus should be on government, not citizens.
There needs to be more precautions taken for our child talent,” she said. “We shouldn’t be having to go out and make a Facebook group to warn each other. We should already have enough precautions and enough bills in place from our agencies.”
