HARTFORD- In a show of unity for women throughout Connecticut, State Rep. Christie Carpino (Cromwell and Portland) along with the 54 other women state legislators introduced legislation to crack down on sex and labor trafficking. The legislation, H.B. 5666, An Act Concerning the Forfeiture of Moneys and Property Derived from Human or Sex Trafficking would impose stricter penalties on individuals found guilty of these crimes. Carpino, who sits on the Judiciary Committee said, “The crimes of human and sex trafficking needs to be eliminated. This bill makes sure no one can profit from the crime. I’m proud to stand with my fellow female lawmakers. I hope this legislation provides a public spotlight on these serious crimes.” Human trafficking is synonymous with trafficking in persons and has commonly been referred to as modern day slavery. It involves harboring, recruiting, transporting, providing, or obtaining another person and using force, fraud, or coercion to force him or her to perform commercial sex acts or work under illegal conditions. Federal and some state laws also expressly consider involuntary servitude, slavery, or debt bondage to be forms of human trafficking. Currently, Connecticut’s anti-trafficking law incorporates its existing definition of coercion, a crime committed when someone makes a victim fear that if he or she does not comply with their demands, the actor or another person will: commit a crime; accuse someone else of committing a crime; or expose a secret that could subject anyone to hatred, contempt, or ridicule, or impair his or her credit or business reputation. All 55 elected women of both parties, Senate and House of Representatives are co-introducers of the bill, which has been sent to the legislature’s Judiciary committee for a public hearing.
