Caught in Traffick

Freya Barrington's previous book, 'Known to Social Services', gave us a frighteningly realistic insight into the harrowing world of the child protection social worker. Based on her own experiences, the book was a revelation and occupied the number one spot for social work books on Amazon UK within weeks of release and went on to win the autobiography/biography/memoir section of the 2015 London Book Festival and received an Honourable Mention at the 2016 Paris Book Festival.

Freya’s latest novel, 'Caught in Traffick' is the sequel to 'Known to Social Services', and continues the story of social worker Diane Foster. Set mainly in Thailand; Diane and her partner Ethan are on a working holiday, blissfully unaware of the dangers lurking against the beautiful backdrop of white beaches and glorious monuments. When four-year-old Darcie Taylor is abducted from a crowded beach, Diane and Ethan find themselves sucked into the horrifying world of child trafficking. When Darcie’s abduction is followed closely by the kidnap of another child, there can be no doubt that a well co-ordinated gang is operating in the area. A chance meeting with the Director of Social Services Nicholas Bishop leads to a shocking revelation about the man who is still Diane’s most senior manager. Together, they become embroiled in a dangerous web of subterfuge and corruption, where organised crime syndicates and depraved sex offenders engage in a desperate battle of wits against those dedicated to their downfall. Trapped within this labyrinth of immorality are the children, who are sacrificed on the altar of greed and perversion for financial gain. With the gang’s tentacles reaching across to England, Diane is shocked to find herself faced with some old adversaries. With gripping twists and turns, hair-raising rescue attempts and heart breaking tragedies which leave you in despair; 'Caught in Traffick' will open your eyes to the disturbing underground world of child trafficking.


Caught in Traffick was awarded an Honorable Mention in the General Fiction Section of the 2016 London Book Festival.

Please do visit and like Freya’s author pages on Facebook, Google+ Goodreads. Thank you.

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Friday 4 November 2016

The Two Faces of Thailand; Child Trafficking for the Sex Trade in Thailand

Thailand
What springs to mind when someone mentions Thailand?






Beautiful beaches, clear waters, stunning temples with almost unbelievable architecture?







For me, the thought of Thailand conjures up a very different image.




The modern face of Thailand




A vast country, with once proud roots, I was inspired to use Thailand as a location for my latest novel. Titled Caught in Traffick, the book centres on the complex and dangerous world of child sex trafficking in Thailand. I chose Thailand, due to its reputation as a sink hole of depravity. A reputation, which in my opinion, is well-deserved.








Human Trafficking – An Overview
The trafficking of human beings is not a new problem. It dates back many millennia and continues to grow at an alarming level. Trafficking takes many forms; adults are trafficked for many reasons, including; the sex trade, forced labour, illegal organ donation, forced marriage, debt bondage, and domestic servitude.


Girls who are little more than children are sold into the sex trade


Children are trafficked for the child sex trade, forced labour and illegal adoptions. They are also recruited and forced to serve in lesser known schemes, such as illicit sports and gambling activities. Children are also recruited for children’s armies where, amongst other things, they serve as dispensable suicide bombers. Unbelievable but true.



A young girl recruited into someone's personal army



Conservative estimates put the figure of adults and children currently enslaved by human trafficking at an astonishing 29 million; 27% of this number are children.  Human trafficking has now surpassed the sale of illegal arms in terms of criminal activity, and is a growing international problem surpassed only by the drug trade. It is big business for those involved, generating over $10 billion in illegal revenue. The laws currently in place to protect victims are numerous and complex. Statistic vary, but it is agreed that few perpetrators are brought to justice. A 2007 US State Department report put the figure at approximately 1 in 800 people.

Child Sex Trafficking in Thailand
While I am aware that children are sexually exploited the world over; there are few places on earth that they are more vulnerable and less protected by their own Government than in Thailand.



Young girls on the street approached by a punter



The children’s charity The Sold Project estimates that there are around 60,000 children involved in the commercial sex trade in Thailand*.



Girls outside a sex club await "clients"



Thailand’s reputation as a place where one can go and indulge in sexual activity with children with little chance of redress, makes it a magnet for paedophiles.  Those responsible for supplying these depraved men (or women) with their wretched victims are well-organised, cunning and arrogant. Safe in the knowledge that to avoid prosecution, all that is required is a well-placed bribe; they continue their heinous trade unchecked and unchallenged. The children come from a variety of sources. Poor local families who have debts, which they can never hope to repay, are often forced to sell their children to these gangs. Other parents believe that their children are going to a better life, with an education or a job prospect. This is almost never the case.



The streets teem with sex workers




Less common, is the abduction of children who are then forced into prostitution. Some of these children are those of holiday makers, and while rare, it does happen. There are an average of seven non Thai children a year who are kidnapped in Thailand. Whether the children are locally sold, or dramatically abducted, a similar fate awaits them all.

A high percentage of the ill-fated children will be sold into prostitution and while prostitution is officially illegal in Thailand, it is estimated that the trade is worth around $6.4 billion per annum, making it an essential part of the Thai economy.



Bright lights and sex workers



Many children will die in service to the gangs who own them. Many contract sexually transmitted diseases, which are not treated. Others will die from botched abortions, while some will die from violence at the hands of their captors or clients.  Many children are simply thrown out on the streets once they have outlived their usefulness. Unable to survive alone, they soon succumb to hunger, cold and illness.

Government Response
Corruption and organised crime undermine even the best anti-trafficking efforts; so, why don’t the Government and the police do something about it?



Sex worker being questioned




Consider that at the time of writing, the average police officer in Thailand earns approximately £163 per MONTH at entry level, rising to only £350 a month for a more senior officer. In addition, they have to buy their own uniform, guns, and even bullets! It is small wonder they lack motivation, and have a reputation for being corrupt and easy to bribe.



Pattaya Police Station




A 2008 article in The Economist noted;
 “In Thailand’s most sensational crimes, the prime suspects are often the police”.

Some efforts have been made;

In 2015, the Government brought charges against 34 officials, including those in mid to high posts. The Government also investigated five cases where officials accepted bribes. It is a start, but it is nowhere near enough.

The Government’s efforts to protect potential victims of trafficking are inadequate. In 2015, 720 people were identified as at risk from trafficking. This in a country where tens of thousands of people are trafficked; it is a drop in the ocean. One of the main problems is the sheer volume of people pouring into Thailand from such a wide diversity of other countries. With migrants from Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, Burma, China, North Korea, Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Singapore, Russia, The United States and the United Kingdom, it is small wonder that the screening process is ineffectual and failing those most in need of help.



Soldiers patrolling the borders




Smuggling/trafficking camps have been identified on many parts of the Thai border, but given the sheer size of Thailand’s borders; patrolling them effectively, is akin to holding back the tide. Many victims are brought in by sea; with this in mind, the Government do raid fishing boats on a regular basis, but again, it is pathetically insufficient.


Police raiding a fishing boat with slave labour aboard



The Government has few effective resources in relation to dealing with trafficked children. Often separated from their parents in being smuggled over the borders, the children can face years in a holding centre, or deportation. Those unlucky enough to fall into the hands of traffickers can expect to be sold into the sex trade or other labour based slavery.  The Thai police do seem to have maintained an effective cooperation with international law enforcement when child sex cases involve foreign perpetrators. However, the Government fall woefully short of providing a safe environment for the children to give evidence. Often, they are forced to testify in front of the alleged perpetrators, and have to give their personal details, which leaves them and their families open to retribution and retaliation from the gangs.


Vulnerable children are put at risk by having to testify in front of the perpetrators

In terms of prevention, the Government refused entry to over 500 known sex offenders in 2015, compared to only 98 the previous year. In that at least, a modicum of progress was made. They also organised some training for officials and those in the tourist industry in relation to child trafficking and its prevention. The Government also report having a surveillance agency of trained operatives who are placed in high risk areas of child sex trafficking, and who supposedly report to the police. However, as we have already seen, corruption is such, that for a few hundred baht, many crimes will go unchallenged and unpunished.  


Government anti-trafficking advert




From the above, we can see that the Thai Government are making a few efforts to bring perpetrators to justice, but their efforts continue to be hampered by gangs of organised crime. Thailand was at one time on the lowest tier, imposed by the US Government – tier 3 – in relation to the efforts it was making in relation to human trafficking. Tier 3 status could trigger non-trade related sanctions and is viewed as very serious. In 2016, the US Government lifted the tier 3 rating, lifting it to tier 2. This was met with protests from Human Rights groups, who say the action was politically motivated and did nothing to address the issues of trafficking, which is still rife, especially in the fishing and sex industries.

Caught in Traffick – The Novel
It is against this backdrop of corruption and perversion that my novel Caught in Traffick is set.


The book is the sequel to my best selling debut book, Known to Social Services, and sees the main character, social worker Diane Foster caught up in a complex and frightening web of criminal exploitation of the worst kind. 




Book Festival Section winner and prequel to Caught in Traffic, my debut book, Known to Social Services





Focusing mainly on the kidnap of two European children, Caught in Traffick aims to highlight the issue of child trafficking for the sex trade. I also draw attention to the marked differences between the abduction of European children and the ensuing media drama, against the almost unacknowledged disappearance of local children, who elicit an apathetic response.

For research purposes, I read extensively and spoke to people who work in anti-trafficking organisations. Their insight was invaluable. The Internet is of course a mine of information and I found dozens of useful websites. From children's charities, who are dedicated to the eradication of child trafficking, to UK Government Agencies who combat the problem from a criminal perspective; all went towards building the picture and helped with the emerging storyline. 

As a qualified child protection social worker I am more than aware of the issues which are faced by many of the world’s children. While Caught in Traffick is a novel, I am acutely aware that this is an all too horrifically real issue for tens of thousands of children. It is my heartfelt hope that through the medium of writing, I can bring some additional attention and action to this hideous practice.

Caught in Traffick is available from Amazon in paperback or Kindle format;


*https://www.thesoldproject.com/child-human-trafficking-thailand/

**http://www.state.gov/j/tip/rls/tiprpt/countries/2016/258876.htm

Links
Twitter; @freyabarrington

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Freya

3 comments:

  1. A very interesting, harrowing read, Freya. It's unbelievable that human beings can treat each other this way, especially the exploitation of young trusting children. Well done for highlighting this terrible evil.

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    Replies
    1. Many thanks Julia, I appreciate you taking the trouble to read and comment. Not everyone can read material like this but it won't go away simply because we ignore it. x

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  2. Thank you very much for sharing information that will be much helpful for making coursework my effective.

    ReplyDelete