Every day, across the globe, children are forced to work without pay as prostitutes. The psychological toll this industry has on these children is detrimental to the child’s sanity. Some children feel attached to their pimps; others find it hard to stay away from prostitution and move forward with their lives. Others reach the point of committing violent crimes.
Sara Kruzan was convicted of killing her pimp, G.G., at the age of sixteen. G.G., who met Sara when she was eleven, used a common tactic of pimps called “grooming;” he gained her trust by acting as a father figure – something Sara never had. By the age of thirteen, G.G. raped and forced her to sleep with other men for profit, while pocketing the money for himself. After three years of prostitution, Sara reached her limit and killed her pimp. When her case was taken to court, the judge tried her as an adult, rather than a juvenile. The end result was life in prison without parole.
Victims of human trafficking and similar situations who commit crimes should not be sentenced to jail time; rather, they should be psychologically evaluated and sent to an appropriate rehabilitation center. In The Psychological Trauma of Modern Day Slavery: Sex Trafficking and its Impact on the Field of Psychology in Thailand, it says “[h]uman trafficking has a tremendous psychological impact on its victims as a result of the manipulation, abuse, and cultural shock experienced when forced to work a less than desirable job…” The psychological damage that takes place is enough to drive some victims to violence, as in Sara’s case. It is evident that Sara has almost rehabilitated herself through her time in jail. She speaks of how she has changed for the better, and that she is now capable of making healthy life choices. It is arguable that had Sara been granted the opportunity to receive psychological help, she probably would have grown from the entire process. Trafficking victims (even those who commit crimes) require and deserve psychological help. Bottom line, a child as young as Sara should have been treated as a victim, not a criminal.
I agree with your position that Sarah did experience a form of wrongdoing and was enticed to commit the murder. That is something seen in the judicial system often, where victims are made into criminals because they are still responsible for following the law of the land. This is something others may argue, that she had to uphold moral standing. However, those morals were diminished when she was stripped her of childhood and degraded .
ReplyDeleteI agree with Jessica and Jessiona in that someone who is forced to commit acts that arent comprehensible to the sane mind, and degraded to such an extent should be hailed for his/her courage and valor to stand up to their abuser. What the Judicial system does not take into account is the special circumstances some of theses victims find themselves in, with no escape or form of achieving a better quality of life, some of theses victims must commit such crimes. They are justified in their choice to overcome and change their situation through what ever means be necessary. Pimps, abusers, traffickers are all part of the scum that prevent us from moving forward and ensuring equal rights and protection of those rights for all.
ReplyDeleteI agree as well, the fact that she was convicted as a criminal shows that the court completely ignored that fact that she was forced into a line of work that is illegal. The fact that it was not her choice, should have told the courts that there is a problem going on in society and the act of prostitution is not always a choice.
ReplyDeleteWere there any special circumstances that convinced the judge to try her as an adult? I'd like to think that the court had some kind of reason for treating this poor girl as a criminal, but would not be surprised if they didn't. Maybe you could include a brief explanation of the court's reasoning in your paper or presentation.
ReplyDeleteI agree also. This woman was forced at a young age to become a prostitute. The Judicial systems should have took into account the awful the things this woman had to do at such a young age. As Jefferson said, I wonder if the court had some reason for treating her as a criminal instead of a victim?
ReplyDeleteI read about a case very similar to Sara's,and many people were petitioning for the release of the lady in the same situation. Anyways, it isn't fair for her to be treated like a criminal when she was being held by a criminal for many years. This isn't justice, it just a sad excuse for trying not to deal with these kinds of problems.
ReplyDeleteThis is a problem prostitutes face constantly. They are almost always treated as a criminal rather than a victim. When prostitutes try to report abuse to the police often say "Well what did you expect?" I can see why this happens when someone chooses this profession but if someone is forced into it they should be granted a little more sympathy and assistance.
ReplyDeleteThis is a fantastic conversation. Thought-provoking blog post, clearly. I, too, wonder what the specific reasoning the judge and jury had for convicting the woman -- I am looking forward to your presentation! But also -- I think a major issue here is that she was tried as an adult even though she was a teenager. It's possible that people cannot understand prostitutes as children because of the maturation we assume is necessary to be able to participate in such an industry. I wonder if her defense was good and whether they did anything to help the jury understand just how young she was and how children cannot understand the consequences of being in situations like hers.
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