Specialized federal police officers to combat rise of human exploitation in Aus

27/10/2024 16:05

        Specialized officers from the Australian Federal Police have been deployed to communities across the country to fight rising human trafficking and exploitation.
        
        The AFP on Sunday said that the new Human Exploitation Community Officers will deliver targeted education to vulnerable communities to prevent human trafficking and online child sexual exploitation.
        
        There were 382 instances of human trafficking -- including slavery, forced marriage, servitude, and forced labor -- reported to the AFP in the 2023-24 financial year, which ended on June 30, up from 340 in 2022-23.
        
        AFP Commander Helen Schneider said that the rollout of the HECOs, which began in 2023, represents a significant boost to the AFP's ability to protect Australians from exploitation.