The Wrong Focused Victim
While Robert Kraft more than likely will receive a “slap on the wrist” for his role in this incident, the victims of the human trafficking ring are not so fortunate
This was not the kind of news story people were expecting to hear on a Friday afternoon.
The shocking story of New England Patriots’ owner Robert Kraft being charged for soliciting sex with a prostitute took over the airwaves of the sports-world with many analysts and fans wondering what in the blue heck happened. Police stated that they have footage of the sexual act and he’s been a regular at the fake massage parlor where the prostitution ring was being held.
Many have been trying to figure out what this would mean for Kraft, the Patriots, the NFL, and their fans. Some have been trying to convince themselves that it was a mistake and he was not aware that this was a human trafficking ring. Others think that Kraft was aware and should be held behind bars. Whatever the case it may be it’s unlikely Kraft will be in prison for an extended period of time. He’s not the victim here. The slaves of the human trafficking ring are the ones in trouble.
While the idea of Kraft being randomly charged for a crime as a billionaire owner for a successful NFL dynasty team is funny, the women that have been forced into sexual slavery makes the story less hilarious and incredibly tragic. For those that don’t know, human trafficking is a serious global problem. A report back in September 2017 stated that an estimate of 24.9 million victims are trapped in modern-day slavery. 16 million (64%) of said victims were exploited for labor, 4.8 million (19%) were sexually exploited, and 4.1 million (17%) were exploited in state-imposed forced labor. It has, unfortunately, become a multi-billionaire dollar enterprise and is constantly growing as the world’s most lucrative criminal enterprise.
And Kraft may have possibly participated in something sickening and illegal.
Whether or not if Kraft knew they were slaves is not the point. The point is that they WERE slaves, the police have footage of Kraft receiving sexual contact with them, and this isn’t the first time he’s visited the “spa.”
Keep in mind that women and children are the ones who are often profited off of human trafficking enterprises. According to an Equality Now fact sheet, the sex trafficking industry pulls in an estimated $99 billion each year. The United Nations have stated that 51 percent of victims are women while another 20 percent are girls, accounting for 71 percent of victims. And sexual slavery is the most common form of human trafficking.
As far as the next step for the victims, they will be eligible for T visas, a visa solely designated for human trafficking victims. This would allow them special permission to stay in the United States. However, it’s not as easy as it sounds. According to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) data, there were 1,541 trafficking survivors with pending T visa applications. Between the time of October 2016 and September 2017, more than 1,100 trafficking survivors have applied for a T visa. Out of all those applications, only 672 were awarded and 226 were denied. Plus the amount of pending applications were larger than the number of new applications.
This isn’t good and it makes a harrowing situation even more grim for the victims. While Kraft will probably get off with a light sentence, a misunderstanding, and support from the NFL since the Patriots are a “model standing” for the league, those women who have been taken from their homes and forced into slavery will more than likely have very little support and no guarantee of a peaceful life after it is all said and done.
People may want to paint Robert Kraft as the victim here since it probably is a misunderstanding. However, he should not be seen as a victim. The slaves at the Orchids of Asia Day Spa should be the focus and they are the ones that should be receiving help, not the billionaire owner.
(If you know anyone that may need help or suspect some illegal activity is happening contact the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1 (888) 373–7888 and/or visit the website at humantraffickinghotline.org.)
*additional content from The Appeal, Fight the New Drug, Bustle, Deadspin, ESPN, The New York Times, USCIS official website, NY Daily News, NBC News
