MORE than a third of people in Edinburgh are unaware of the extent of child trafficking in the UK, a new survey claimed today.
A report commissioned by The Body Shop and campaign group ECPAT identified the UK as a destination and hub for the transit of trafficked children, with children from 52 different nations arriving in the country in a year.
But a survey found ignorance of the problem, which is the third largest international crime after illegal drugs and arms trafficking, with up to 1.2 million children trafficked globally each year.
The Body Shop also said 72 per cent of people surveyed in Edinburgh were not aware that purchasing pirate DVDs or cannabis and even giving money to a child beggar could support trafficking.
Most trafficking is linked to sexual exploitation, but children are also trafficked for forced marriage, illegal adoption and domestic servitude.
The Body Shop is launching a three-year global campaign to “Stop Sex Trafficking of Children and Young People”.
To raise funds it is introducing a new “Soft Hands, Kind Heart” hand cream with £3.45 of the £5 price donated to ECPAT.
source: http://news.scotsman.com/politics/City-ignorant-about-child-trafficking.5554695.jp
