humantrafficking
Sally Richardson
NOT For Sale...
Ever. Again.©
Causality:
The whole idea of being driven in life is connected
with the idea of causality, of life moving under the
power of the past. And that is so ingrained in our
common sense that it’s very difficult to get rid of it.
A thing constructed can only be loved after its constructed,
but a thing created is loved before it exits.
- Charles Dickens, Authentically Pivot
By Simon E. Bois, Florida Night Train
January is “Human Trafficking Awareness Month”. Meet Sally.
She is an avid motorcycle enthusiast and an
icon representing courage in the communities
and people she touches by advocating
against human trafficking and such crimes.
She is also a seasoned professional model
who you probably have seen before. Sally is
a true warrior. Her story and what she went
through is gut-wrenching. I am privileged to
call her a friend. Sally is mother to six children
(7 if you count “Dyna” her Yorkie) and
grandmother of two. She is currently Co-Director
of “Fighting Against Trafficking Organization”.
Sally
Trafficking Survivor
Sally also strongly focuses on her practice
as a consultant, championing the cause of victims' rights especially
those of sexual crimes, domestic abuse and violence against women
and children.
Sally recently won a supreme court case in South Dakota, making
it caselaw across the country, thus giving victims of abuse who are
able to prove they have long suffered and currently still suffer from their
abuse, the ability to take their perpetrator to civil court for jury trial and
pursue punitive damages. If you voted in the last election, one of the
issues to vote on your ballot was a direct result of Sally’s hard work on
behalf of victims nationwide.
Sally’s expertise has been utilized by legislators throughout the
Midwest to help pass new and tougher sex trafficking legislation. She
is a sought-after speaker and has successfully contributed to organizations
such as; Creighton University’s Human Trafficking Initiative,
Women’s Fund, NHTTF Thriver Committee, National Survivor
Network, and the Polaris Project.
In Sally’s own words:
“It seems that the value of someone’s pain depends on the size of
their bank account, or that of who caused your pain. Many Survivors
of human sex trafficking will never get the chance for justice.
Here are some terms you want to get familiar with:
Sexual Exploitation: Taking advantage of sexuality and attractiveness
of a person to make a personal gain or profit. It is the abuse of a
position of vulnerability, differential power, or trust for sexual purposes.
Sexual Assault: Refers to an assault of a sexual nature on another
person. It can include a wide range of unwanted sexual contact
such as rape, forced vaginal, anal or oral penetration, forced sexual
intercourse, inappropriate touching, forced kissing, child molestation,
exhibitionism, voyeurism, obscene phone calls, torture of a victim in a
sexual manner, etc.
Sexual Abuse: Aggravated sexual assault is a felony sexual offense
governed by state laws, which vary by state. It is typically defined
as a sexual assault that maims, wounds, or disfigures the victim,
or involves a victim who is physically or mentally incapacitated. It may
also be defined to include a sexual assault that is aided or abetted by
another person, occurs during commission of another crime, or involves
use of a deadly weapon.
Sexual Harassment: Occurs when a person is subject to unwelcome
sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, or other verbal or
physical conduct of a sexual nature to such an extent that it alters the
conditions of the person’s employment and creates an abusive working
environment. Sexual harassment may include touching, feeling, groping
and/or repeated unpleasant, degrading and/or sexist remarks
directed toward an employee, implying that employment status, promotion
or favorable treatment depends upon the employee’s assent.
Pornography displayed in the workplace or emailed to coworkers may
also constitute sexual harassment.
No matter what name you give it, it just does not discriminate. It
does not see gender, age, beauty, religion, social status, or financial
background. It does not care where you’ve been or where you’re going,
or if you are in good health or not.
Continued on next page
14 • JANUARY 2020 813.682.9364 FLORIDA WOMEN MAGAZINE