25 February 2010

LexisNexis helps raise awareness of human trafficking

LexisNexis hosted a screening of the critically acclaimed drama Holly at the Prince Charles Cinema in Leicester Square, London on 1 December 2009 in order to raise awareness about human trafficking.

Holly tells the story of a twelve year old Vietnamese girl sold into slavery in Cambodia by her impoverished family and the American ex-pat who tries to save her. Shot on location in actual brothels in the notorious red light district of Phnom Penh, the film grittily depicts the despair and horror the sex industry inflicts on young victims.

The screening was followed by Q&A’s with the producer and writer Guy Jacobson, a former attorney and investment banker, who left the corporate world to become a human rights activist battling child sexual exploitation. Jacobson, who was awarded the U.S. State Department’s Global Hero Award in 2008, discussed ways of fighting sex trafficking, saying, “How do you decrease the demand? It’s the only way to decrease the problem.”

Other panel members included Parosha Chandran - a British human rights barrister, Christine Beddoe - Director of ECPAT UK (End Child Prostitution, Child Pornography and Trafficking) and Terry Tennens - the UK Director of International Justice Mission, who detailed the scope of the human trafficking crisis and answered questions on what individuals can do to help, and the need for clear legislation.

For further details about LexisNexis’ promotion of the Rule of Law, visit the LexisNexis Rule of Law Resource Centre.