Safe Harbor for Trafficked Youth
Submitted by Monica Schultz
SAFE HARBOR FOR TRAFFICKED YOUTH (SB 245/AB 185) would provide immunity for children under 18 from the crime of prostitution. This bill would reconcile our state statues, as under Wisconsin law, minors cannot legally consent to sex and to charge them with prostitution is contradictory.
Further, it aligns with the Federal Trafficking Victims Protection Act, which treats prostituted minors as victims of sexual exploitation instead of delinquents or criminals. Now, over 30 states with a varied legislative and executive branch make up, have passed safe harbor bills with bipartisan support. Lawmakers around the country have realized that safe harbor laws ensure trafficked children are treated as victims, not criminals, and that we should provide them access to medical care, safe housing, remedial education, and counseling services.