Thank you for the informative but distressing, editorial "Modern day slavery" (June 6). This is the kind of information we would rather not know about — young girls being lured into prostitution — right here in Maryland! Sadly, human trafficking is a major international problem that is more prevalent than most of us realize. We hear about the prostitution of little girls in southeast Asia and other parts of the world. We shake our heads and toss aside the reports.
But, the fact that "since last fall the Crimes Against Children Squad in Baltimore's FBI office has rescued 16 juveniles who were forced into prostitution" and that's "likely only a fraction of the victims" is both good news and bad news. What happened to all those who were not rescued?
What happens when the children are rescued? Are they sent back to their homes? Sent to foster homes? Do they go back to their schools burdened with the stigma of prostitution? Do they receive some sort of therapy and rehabilitation? Were their pimps caught and convicted of the felony crime they've committed? Did the men who paid the pimps get caught? Like the drug trade, that can only flourish as long as there is a market, so child prostitution can only exist — here in Maryland, or anywhere — as long as there are "customers" who make it profitable.
Thanks again to The Sun editors for bringing this abominable business to our attention. I hope there will be follow-up articles to answer some of the questions it raises. And I agree that Maryland legislators must take strong stands against those involved in human trafficking.
Phyllis Yingling, Catonsville
The writer is program chair of the Catonsville branch of the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom.