Attorney urges them to contact a lawyer; compensation possible
By Shelly Strom for The Columbian
Published: November 23, 2018, 6:05am
While general awareness of human trafficking — which globally involves upwards of 40 million victims in a $150 billion industry — is growing, victims often don’t realize they can pursue legal recourse.
Oregon attorney Joel Shapiro, however, is on a mission to change that. He wants to help people stuck in trafficking become aware that they may be able to take legal action, get their financial due and get on with their lives.
“Most victims of trafficking never would think about talking to a lawyer or what their legal rights would be,” said Shapiro, who has about a decade of experience working on behalf of trafficking victims. Shapiro recently delivered his message to the Clark County Human Trafficking Task Force.
“Many victims may indeed have a route for legal recourse,” he said. Shapiro recommends that social services providers and other advocates tell their clients to consider working with an attorney to find out whether they could receive financial compensation.
The law allows victims of trafficking whose perpetrators have been criminally charged to ask for economic damages that would cover actual costs, such as for therapy, as well as for financial damages associated with being a victim.
In civil cases, however, allowable damages for victims can be much broader. Read more.