Demand for services supporting victims of human trafficking and sexual exploitation increased by 35% last year, according to the Irish charity Ruhama which deals with such issues.
According to Ruhama’s annual report for 2022, 497 individuals from a total of 46 nations around the world engaged with the charity last year.
Of the 212 people who approached the charity after being impacted by prostitution, 45 were Irish nationals. 28 were Zimbabwean, 18 were Romanian, 15 were Brazilian, 12 were Nigerian, along with several other nationalities.
Of the 147 victims of trafficking, 63 were Nigerian, 20 were Zimbabwean, 12 were from South Africa, 6 were from Ghana, 6 were from Romania, and many other nationalities were also included.
A further 138 individuals approached the charity because they were at risk of sexual exploitation.
Of the 497 individuals who reached out to the charity in 2022, 224 – almost half – were seeking supports from the charity for the first time.
Barbara Condon, CEO of Ruhama, said that Ireland needed to do more to “protect women and girls from sexual violence and sexual exploitation.”
“Ruhama works with some of the most marginalised and vulnerable women in society and witness daily how prostitution and sex trafficking is inherently violent, exploitative and demeaning to women,” she said.
“The violence and complex trauma encountered can have a lifelong impact.”
Source: Gript