A tortuous path to establish a safe haven for young women who have been forced into the sex trade may be nearly completed.
Chuck Fernandez, CEO of Catholic Charities of the East Bay, speaking to the February Catholics at Work breakfast said that he hopes to see Claire’s House in operation as soon as May.
But Fernandez cautioned he makes no guarantees. The project has been under development for several years and has overcome an intimidating number of the obstacles, related to the extremely tough problem it seeks to address.
Claire’s House is designed to provide a stable, secure living place for girls between 12 and 18 who have survived commercial sexual exploitation. Forced into the sex trade at such young ages makes the girls more vulnerable, less able to cope with it and less able to recover if they do escape.
Many other efforts to help exploited girls in the U.S. have failed, Fernandez noted. So planning for the Oakland safe haven has been a tortuous, difficult effort.
The problem Claire’s House will try to resolve is creating a place where trafficked girls can live safely, rebuild their self-respect and learn how to live a decent life after they become adults.
Overall, “we want to raise awareness of sex trafficking and decrease demand.”
If it fails? As simply stated by Fernandez, “the average life of a girl after the sex trade is seven years.”
Full story at The Catholic Voice.
Warning signs that an idividual is being trafficked
Signs of physical abuse such as burn marks, bruises or cuts
Unexplained absences from class
Less appropriately dressed than before
Sexualized behavior
Overly tired in class
Withdrawn, depressed, distracted or checked out
Brags about making or having lots of money
Displays expensive clothes, accessories or shoes
New tattoo (tattoos are often used by pimps as a way to brand victims. Tattoos of a name, symbol of money or barcode could indicate trafficking)
Older boyfriend or new friends with a different lifestyle
Talks about wild parties or invites other students to attend parties
Shows signs of gang affiliation? (ie: a preference for specific colors, notebook doodles of gang…
Just finished a short story “The Cross Eyed Bear” from the “Best of 2010” Mystery compilation. The story featured a Catholic Priest who may or may not have been a serial Homosex Ephebophile Rapist
The story made direct reference to Boston under Cardinal Law and enabling abusers like Goeghan & Shanley and the huge sums paid to try and patch over wounds that can never truly heal
Short Story Aside – how can the Church still pander to the GILBERT Gaystapo Agenda, when the ruin of so man lives and loss of so much treasure that could have done good – is flushed down the Bathhouse Drain