There is good progress being made in regards to holding businesses accountable that profit from human trafficking. In December 2019, the first plaintiff to file against a hotel or motel for its role in a trafficking case settled with the Massachusetts motel where she was held captive. The survivor in this case told media the case was more about accountability because employees at the motel saw her in distress and did not help her.

If there is any silver lining to recent revelations involving billionaire Jeffery Epstein alleged recidivism (he entered a “not guilty” plea to recent charges this past week), it is that it has brought greater public attention to the ongoing tragedy of sex trafficking and slavery of minors.

A professor of psychiatry who has worked with the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) since 2014 recently testified that she and her colleagues have identified more than 7,800 former scout leaders and volunteers whom they say “were involved in sexually abusing a child” over the past 75 years. The information comes from the BSA's “Ineligible Volunteer Files,” which some now call the “Perversion Files.” Dr. Janet Warren, who teaches at the University of Virginia, also says, “From reviewing all these files, we identified 12,254 victims.”

His Holiness Pope Francis has drawn some criticism in recent months for his failure to speak out more forcefully on the issue of child sexual abuse by clergy or take meaningful action. This week, however, he did publicly announce that the Chuch is “working on” the sexual abuse and exploitation of nuns by male clergy.