Human trafficking is happening in Canada, journalist says

Victor Malarek

TORONTO — People think human trafficking is something that only happens “over there,” in Third World countries, but it happens right here in Canada, journalist and author Victor Malarek told a packed room of more than 100 people at the National Council of Jewish Women’s (NCJW) Toronto headquarters Oct. 8.

The NCJW organized the event so members and people from the community at large could learn about the global sex trade. Malarek, a senior investigative reporter for CTV’s W5 and a former police reporter in Montreal, is the author of several books exploring the phenomenon.

Malarek gave an impassioned speech about what he called “the global sex trade calamity,” explaining that the focus must be turned on the men who purchase sex, rather than the women who sell it, the large majority of whom Malarek insisted aren’t choosing to be in the profession, but are either coerced or too desperate to feel they have another option.

He emphasized that those who buy sex are responsible for fuelling the international human trafficking industry, which sees millions of women and girls bought and sold domestically and abroad in countries spanning the globe.

He argued that people imagine the typical john to be “a creepy lounger in a basement hyped up on porn,” but that his research has shown him that men who buy sex are ordinary men from all backgrounds and walks of life.

“They’re husbands and fathers, CEOs, lawyers, politicians, judges, actors, athletes… even men of the cloth, like rabbis and priests,” he said, adding, “Little will be done to stop the worldwide sexual carnage until men generally take responsibility for the men who feel they have the right to buy sex… Men want to believe prostitution is the world’s oldest profession, but it’s actually the world’s oldest oppression.”

He said the johns often buy into myths about women choosing to sell themselves, seeking to ease their consciences about purchasing sex.

Malarek laid out a number of realities that he said counter this and other myths johns may subscribe to. They include:

• Most women and girls are forced into the prostitution.

• Most women are recruited into the sex trade as young as ages 12 or 13, even in western countries.

• Most girls who are recruited are the victims of broken families and sexual abuse by family members.

• The vast majority of prostituted women are controlled by criminal gangs.

• Many are addicted to drugs.

• Many suffer serious mental health issues.

Malarek said myths about women choosing prostitution has led to a global situation that sees tens of millions of women and girls selling themselves, and the problem is only getting worse.

“Over the past few decades, the demand for purchased sex has gone off the charts,” he said, attributing the rise to factors such as poverty, government corruption, lack of education, the “hard-core porn industry” and people in countries across the world, including Canada, who are pushing to legalize prostitution.

The pervasive problem of prostitution can be challenged if men “man up” and speak out against attitudes and actions that victimize women and girls, Malarek said.

Further, he said schools must teach boys and girls about gender equality and healthy relationships.

He argued that easy access to hard-core pornography online is affecting boys from a very young age and skewing their idea of what real, consensual sex looks like.

People can address this by lobbying the government to place regulations on the amount of free porn that’s available, as well sponsoring public awareness campaigns that call attention to gender equality, pornography, assault and the exploitation of women and girls on the Internet.

Malarek touched on the federal government’s introduction of legislation in 2014 that makes it illegal to purchase sexual services, but legal to sell them.

Critics of the legislation who argue that prostitution should be legalized or further decriminalized in order to empower women in the business are misguided, he said.

“There’s this tiny minority of twits who are saying they want to be doing prostitution and their rights are being impugned,” he declared, adding, “This business will always be organized by criminals and pimps. Even if you legalize prostitution, you’re just giving [these criminals] a legal table to do what they do.”

While it’s difficult to track numbers of how many women are being trafficked or selling sex – many are too terrified to come forward to the police – Malarek insisted that “Toronto has a very live and wild prostitution racket.”

He concluded by telling the audience that gender equality will never be possible unless prostitution of women and girls is eradicated, and added, “This is the biggest enslavement of people since the blacks were slaves in the United States.”