Why We Need Anti-Slavery Champions In Congress
April 9, 2012
Late last month, the Cambodian government ordered the arrest of a convicted pedophile, Russian national Alexander Trofimov. When he is found and arrested, he will be expelled from Cambodia (read more in this local news article). We celebrated this order because it means justice will be secured for victims who deserve it, and we celebrated because this order came about after much advocacy.
Several years ago, IJM worked with the Cambodian Anti-Human Trafficking and Juvenile Protection police to protect and defend 17 girls who reported that they had been abused by Trofimov. He was prosecuted, convicted and sentenced to eight years in prison for sexually assaulting these girls in Cambodia. But in December 2011, he was pardoned and released from jail after serving only half of his sentence. While the pardon did not change his status in the eyes of the law his conviction remained he was allowed to leave jail.
Cambodian news sources described Trofimov's arrest and trial as the country's largest ever pedophilia case. One of my IJM colleagues described the courtroom to me when Trofimov went to trial. His seventeen victims IJM's clients sat on benches, literally filling half the courtroom. Trofimov was a powerful man, but when he was convicted, the scales of justice tipped and the power of the law protected those girls. So when he was pardoned and released, we were shocked and disappointed.
IJM appealed for a strong U.S. response to the pardon in Washington. Among those who responded were five senators who wrote to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, urging a robust US diplomatic response to the pardon. This letter signed by Senators Thad Cochran (R-MS), Barbara Boxer (D-CA), Marco Rubio (R-FL), Carl Levin (D-MI), and David Vitter (R-LA) urged the Secretary of State to convey to the highest levels of the Cambodian government our government's concern over the pardon of three convicted pedophiles. Representative Ed Royce (R-CA) also wrote to the Administration on the issue.
I am particularly grateful to the legislators for weighing in with the executive branch. Their support for the U.S. Government to take up this issue at the highest levels of authority in Cambodia contributed to this welcome outcome last week. I am also grateful to IJM friends in the five states represented on the letter. These Senate offices have all been contacted frequently over the past several years by their own constituents who care greatly about slavery and trafficking.
I used to work for Congress myself, long ago. I can tell you, when folks at home urge a member of Congress to be a human rights champion and recognize and praise them when they are something powerful has occurred. The legislators are able to act on their own personal convictions about slavery, trafficking, or other crimes, knowing that folks in their own home states appreciate it. That dynamic is particularly important now when all too many of our elected representatives assume that the American people only care about problems at home. Our champions who helped secure a welcome outcome in a horrific case of sexual violence against children know better.
If you live in California, Florida, Louisiana, Michigan or Mississippi, consider calling your Senator and thanking them for taking this action.
- Senator Boxer (CA): 202-224-3553
- Senator Rubio (FL): 202-224-3041
- Senator Vitter (LA): 202-224-4623
- Senator Levin (MI): 202-224-6221
- Senator Cochran (MS): 202-224-5054
Sample script: "Hi, my name is [your name] and I'm calling from [your town, state]. I'm calling to thank Senator [your senator's name] for signing an appeal to Secretary Clinton in January that protested the pardon of a convicted pedophile in Cambodia. I'm very grateful for the senator's support of the children victimized by this man. Will you please pass my message along to the senator? Thank you."
Holly Burkhalter is the Vice President of Government Relations at International Justice Mission. IJM's Justice Campaigns mobilizes people around the country in support of U.S. policies that will lead to the abolition of human trafficking and modern-day slavery.
