TORONTO — Human trafficking survivors would be allowed to sue their traffickers under Ontario legislation introduced today.
The government says about two-thirds of all police-reported cases of human trafficking in Canada are in Ontario.
The Anti-Human Trafficking Act would establish a process for survivors and those at-risk to apply for human trafficking-specific restraining orders.
It would also allow survivors to take their traffickers to civil court and proclaim Feb. 22 as Human Trafficking Awareness Day.
The Liberal government in June announced a $72-million strategy to end human trafficking, which includes the creation of a provincial anti-trafficking co-ordination office meant to foster information sharing between police, social services, child welfare and other sectors.
The government also promised at that time to establish a specialized provincial prosecution team to tackle human trafficking cases and advise local Crown attorneys and law enforcement.
The Canadian Press
