When Fact Meets Fiction: Writer's Research Holds Grains of Truth

When I started researching for my book, Angels Cry, I expected nothing more than to find a few details that I could sprinkle into my fiction, but what I discovered, shifted my paradigm. When we think about human trafficking, we think about larger cities with worse reputations; we think about foreign and faraway places. Most of us never consider that it could be happening in our backyards.

Human trafficking is illegal, both according to state and federal law. The Thirteenth Amendment of the United States Constitution abolished slavery, in any form. Yet, this has not quashed the ever rising tide of illegal brothels and sex slaves. But, human trafficking isn’t limited to the sex industry.

Additionally, according to the FBI, what must be understood is that  “[it] but can be found “in many job locations and industries—including factories, restaurants, elder care facilities, hotels, housekeeping, child-rearing, agriculture, construction and landscaping, food processing, meat-packing, cleaning services…as well as the commercial sex industry.”

What I’ve noticed over the months it has taken for me to create and finish my story is an explosion of information about human trafficking. (A simple Google search will produce pages upon pages of information.)For example, in November, a Taskforce was announced to combat the human trafficking in the western part of the state. Legal entities have received mandated power to tackle it. For example Virginia Code §9.1-102(55) states: "In conjunction with the Office of the Attorney General, advise law-enforcement agencies and attorneys for the Commonwealth regarding the identification, investigation, and prosecution of human trafficking offenses using the common law and existing criminal statutes in the Code of Virginia." Most recently, Style Magazine, in its December 3^rd edition, also produced an amazing article offering insight into this heart-wrenching problem. The article, titled “Prisoners Among Us,” is a must read.

Knowledge is power and it will take all of us knowing what Human Trafficking is for us to combat it.

What is Human Trafficking?

According to the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services, “The federal Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act defines human trafficking, in part, as the recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision or obtaining of a person for the purposes of commercial sex acts or labor services through the use of force, fraud or coercion… A trafficked victim does not have to be moved or transported; only forced into a state of servitude.”

Who can be a victim?

As reported by the National Center for the Victims of Crimes, “Although the majority of labor trafficking victims are undocumented or qualified aliens, the majority of sex trafficking victims in the U.S. are U.S. citizens.” As such, we mustn’t necessary fear the evil from outside, but from within.

What should I keep an eye out for?

In a January 2012 post, the FBI posted under its Stories section an article called, Human Trafficking Prevention: Help Us Identify Potential Victims, therein they provide key details as to what you can keep an eye out for, and what could be a sign or indicator of possible human trafficking.  

• Individuals who have no contact with friends or family and no access to identification documents, bank accounts, or cash;
•  Workplaces where psychological manipulation and control are used;
• Homes or apartments with inhumane living conditions;
• People whose communications and movements are always monitored or who have moved or rotated through multiple locations in a short amount of time;
•  Places where locks and fences are positioned to confine occupants; and
• Workers who have excessively long and unusual hours, are unpaid or paid very little, are unable take breaks or days off and have unusual work restrictions, and/or have unexplained work injuries or signs of untreated illness or disease.

How Can I Help?

The Virginia Chapter for National Organization for Women provides great resources for those involved in and for those who believe human trafficking is occurring. Due to this being a crime, one can always contact their local law enforcement and/or the FBI. The Virginia Chapter for National Organization for women suggests that you report  suspected trafficking in Virginia to ICE, the FBI or the Virginia DOJ.

For additional reading, check out: NBC | Human Trafficking in Virginia Part I. If you are interested in learning how you can help, please contact the Polaris Project for additional information; and if you are or know someone who is a victim of human trafficking, there is help available (both private and government assisted). The VADOJ provides a list of resources.

The above is only the tip of the proverbial iceberg that I haven't really even started to uncover. Who knows, maybe this will be a topic I’ll delve into in another book, but for now, I can’t help looking at the world around me with new eyes, and wondering who is truly helping their neighbor and who is just taking advantage of them.

Note: During this holiday season, please consider the plight of those living among us, and should you suspect human trafficking, reach out to law enforcement for assistance. Do NOT try to rescue someone on your own. Although we all would like to be an action hero, it's better to call in the professionals.

Share your thoughts below in the comments.

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TINA GLASNECK's forth coming release of Angels Cry is due out in late December, 2013. To learn more about Tina, please connect with her at TinaGlasneck.com or on facebook.

Body Brokering

We've all heard the rumors and exposes of harvesting happening abroad, in places like China - from their death row inmates. Yet, here in the US, it has also found a foothold. Since 2004, when the proverbial cap came unscrewed, the truth behind the backroom deals was revealed; body harvesting has found a new home.

Each piece of the human cadaver
 has a  black market value.

Body brokering became the big news in 2004. USA Today published the article, There’s money in the business of body parts even including a handy-dandy graphic as to How the body can be used after death.  Even in 2012, CNN was still reporting on this phenomenon, during a segment with Nancy Grace (Surgeon Sells Funeral Home Body Parts).

After coming across this subject through Anne Cheney’s book, Body Brokers: Inside America’s Underground Trade in Human Remains, I started to pay attention and dig.

What once was known as body snatchers, grave robbers and the like are now body brokers, those that seek to gain profit off of the human remains of the deceased.  It is where urban legends begin to mix with reality (recently, the news contained segments about a young man's remains being exhumed and  PVC pipes had replaced his actual femurs; and, a missing young men was located missing his vital organs).

According to the United Nations, “Trafficking in organs is a crime that occurs in three broad categories. Firstly, there are cases where traffickers force or deceive the victims into giving up an organ. Secondly, there are cases where victims formally or informally agree to sell an organ and are cheated because they are not paid for the organ or are paid less than the promised price. Thirdly, vulnerable persons are treated for an ailment, which may or may not exist and thereupon organs are removed without the victim's knowledge. The vulnerable categories of persons include migrants, especially migrant workers, homeless persons, illiterate persons, etc. It is known that trafficking for organ trade could occur with persons of any age. Organs which are commonly traded are kidneys, liver and the like; any organ which can be removed and used, could be the subject of such illegal trade.”

With organ harvesting tourism, that supports the trafficking, large sums of money are being exchanged. According to the Guardian, “Patients, many of whom will go to China, India or Pakistan for surgery, can pay up to $200,000 (nearly £128,000) for a kidney to gangs who harvest organs from vulnerable, desperate people, sometimes for as little as $5,000.”

What we have is two-pronged problem: bodies being harvested for their parts, and the living being harvested for their organs. Each are part of the rise in human trafficking, the demand in healthy parts due to the rise of western diseases, such as diabetes, and the poverty of those who have nothing left to offer besides literal pieces of themselves. In the research I've done, I've even read about children being sneaked into western countries so that their young organs could be harvested.

This problem is only a small portion of the human trafficking agenda, which also includes prostitution, slavery and drug trafficking. Yet, where we find human trafficking, we also find a part of this equation of possibly helping save someone from such a fate.

How can you help stop human trafficking?

There are several ways to help combat this and save someone’s life, but it all starts with learning the red flags of human trafficking. According to the US Department of State, the following are some of the indicators of human trafficking:

·         Living with employer

·         Poor living conditions

·         Multiple people in cramped space

·         Inability to speak to individual alone

·         Answers appear to be scripted and rehearsed

·         Employer is holding identity documents

·         Signs of physical abuse

·         Submissive or fearful

·         Unpaid or paid very little

·         Under 18 and in prostitution

Most localities provide assistance, through a non-emergency number, but you can also contact the U.S. Department of State at  the National Human Trafficking Resource Center at 1-888-3737-888 (24/7) or the Department of Homeland Security at 1-866-347-2423 (24/7), or submit a tip online at www.ice.gov/tips, or from the U.S. Department of Justice at 1-888-428-7581 from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm (EST). 

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Tina Glasneck, author

I hope you enjoyed today's installment. At Murderer's Market, I am still trying to catch my stride as to my brand, but I hope by choosing to share some of the information I've gained through my research, you too will be inspired to learn and help.

Research is an opportunity to learn something new, and in creating my upcoming release, Angels Cry, I chose the topic of body brokering. During my time of attending the Citizens' Police Academy, I've gained so much insight as to what it means to keep an eye open and watch out for myself and those around me.  The organizations and services as provided by the localities, state and even at the federal levels are there to assist us. The more knowledge we gain, the more we are able to assist.