The judge began his sentencing speech: “What do I do when the perpetrator is also a victim?” Last week I sat in a federal courtroom in Florida, packed with survivors, advocates, and supporters of the woman accused.
I had been asked to testify as an expert witness about the impact of trauma on survivors of human trafficking. The goal was to help the judge understand trauma-informed care. It was a complicated case involving a sex trafficking survivor who had taken a plea deal for a shocking crime that she says she didn’t commit. She had spent two years in jail and was facing another eight.
Details:
Author: Mellissa Withers
Published By: Psychology Today
Date: Feb. 1, 2018
Publication Link: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/modern-day-slavery/201802/when-perpetrators-are-also-victims
