The Australian Federal Police has deployed specialised officers to communities across the country as it ramps up its fight against human trafficking and online child sexual exploitation.
The community liaison officers will meet with community leaders, educate people on topics such as online grooming and sextortion, and engage with schools where students are at risk of being forced into marriage.
The AFP officers will work with communities across the country.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen
The initiative comes amid concerns human exploitation could be under-reported and some victims unaware that crimes are being committed against them.
AFP Commander Helen Schneider said the officers would engage with high-risk and vulnerable communities in a bid to protect potential victims from exploitation.
“This capability provides an important opportunity for law enforcement to intervene to protect potential victims and to prevent criminal offending from occurring, and we know that education is key,” Schneider said.
“We know that victims or potential victims of human trafficking and slavery offences may not actually understand the crimes that have been committed against them, or they may not even identify as victims.”
Sakina Muhammad Jan (right) forced her daughter Ruqia to marry the man who later murdered her.Credit: Wayne Taylor
In the past financial year, AFP received more than 58,000 reports of online child sexual exploitation and 382 reports of human trafficking, which includes forced marriage, servitude, forced labour, exit trafficking and slavery.
However, intelligence from the Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation suggests those figures are likely to be an understatement, since only 12 per cent of victims of online child sexual exploitation report the abuse to law enforcement.
The AFP had a small victory in July when Shepparton woman Sakina Muhammad Jan was sentenced to three years behind bars for her role in orchestrating the forced marriage of her daughter Ruqia Haidari to a man who would later murder her. It was the first conviction for forced marriage in Australia’s history.
Police had a second win earlier this month when a 51-year-old man from NSW, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, was sentenced to three years and four months in jail for attempting to find spouses for his two underage children.
Five specialised officers are stationed at AFP commands in Victoria, South Australia, NSW, Queensland and Western Australia as part of the program, which was first rolled out in 2023.
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