End horror of trafficking

End horror of trafficking

23 February 2022

A DOWNPATRICK man who leads a global organisation which aims to end human trafficking and modern slavery says the problem is closer to home than people might think.

Tim Nelson is CEO of Hope for Justice, a non-profit organisation which actively rescues women, children and men from exploitive situations and gives them the best chance of a restored life afterwards.

The Inch man was in demand by major media outlets last week after the Duke of Edinburgh settled a civil case taken against him by Virginia Giuffre, the woman at the centre of the Jeffrey Epstein sex trafficking ring of young girls.

Mr Nelson is calling for people to be more aware of the potential for trafficking around them, whether it is online exploitation and grooming of children and young people, slave labour behind products and services we use and sexual exploitation of people.

He said: “If I look at the area I grew up in, recently I was hearing stories of individuals who had been rescued from businesses in that area. There are individuals are in the Down area who were being exploited in factories and fishing vessels. The reality of what people may think is a million miles away, until they see how prevalent it is, they don’t realise how close it is.”

Mr Nelson, a former banker, co-founded Hope for Justice in the West Yorkshire area in 2008.

By working with former senior detectives, the charity managed to rescue 110 victims in its first year.

“We hired former senior detectives and police officers to carry out undercover intelligence gathering which led to the recovery of victims. Our youngest rescued from sexual exploitation was just three months old, the oldest was 58,” said Mr Nelson.

Hope for Justice now operates in eight countries worldwide, with its biggest area of need in Ethiopia and Uganda. Working with UNICEF, the organisation so far has succeeded in returning 1,810 children back to their parents.

“Once you see the joy and emotion of a child being returned to safety, as I have done myself, then you understand why we do the work we do.”

Mr Nelson has joined forces with a group in Northern Ireland, formerly known as No More Traffick, to set up a base here with the view of having an all-island anti-trafficking strategy once the charity is registered in the Republic of Ireland.

“One in ten people in Northern Ireland will use a prostitute at any time in their life. When you look at that, there’s not the numbers of women who would actually want to be prostitutes,” said Mr Nelson.

“I would want men to be aware of the impact they are having on these individuals.

“I would want parents to be aware of the protocols they are putting in for their Wifi router and checking their children’s screens so they can see who they are engaging with it before it’s too late as so many people prey on the weak, the marginalised, the poor and the depressed.”

He added: “I just wish there was a greater awareness right across the board on this issue. It’s that reality that this could be your son or daughter, I must do something’. “

“When that penny s, it is someone’s daughter, you realise then I can do something. Even the smallest act can make a huge difference.

“We have seen people of all walks of life do amazing things to raise money and support our work, and of course to raise awareness of the issue. Awareness leads to action and action leads to change.”

To donate to Hope for Justice, or find out about fundraising, visit www.hopeforjustice.org