136 women victims of sex trafficking in the last year

AN ALARMING 136 women were identified as victims of human trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation in the last year.

This is according to Ruhama, a charity organisation that offers support to women impacted by prostitution and sex trafficking.

The charity also said that despite public health restrictions during the pandemic, the demand for sexual services persisted, leaving vulnerable women in danger.

It engaged with a total of 269 women who have been impacted by prostitution and sex trafficking during 2021 — which is an increase of 21.5 per cent from the previous year.

Of these women, 136 were victims of human trafficking for the purpose of sex exploitation.Constant

It said the number of victims of trafficking remained constant.

“The overall number of women we worked with during 2021 increased based on more women accessing our services,” a spokesperson for Ruhama told this paper.

However, the organisation said it is difficult to ascertain if the number of women trafficked is increasing as the current system makes it “incredibly difficult to identify victims of trafficking.”

The charity is now calling for the reform of the National Referral Mechanism to be introduced as soon as possible in order to assist more women to be identified and leave the sex trade.

A HORSE trainer has told how he is “honoured” that the parents of Jack De Bromhead have given the go-ahead for one last pony race event this year to remember their 13-year-old son.

John ‘Shark’ Hanlon got the approval from Henry and Heather De Bromhead for the fixture to run after it was initially cancelled in the wake of Jack’s tragic passing.

The racing community will unite to honour the young lad at the meeting which will take place at Borris, Carlow on Sunday, October 2.

Avid ponyracer Jack, from Waterford, died during the Glenbeigh Festival on Rossbeigh Beach in Kerry after a fall at 5.20pm on Saturday, September 3. Hanlon,

“Jack loved his pony racing and as Henry said it was a big part of his life. And we were very honoured that Henry and

Heather have given the go ahead for it.

Tough

“It was a big call for them to give us the go ahead to this as they’re going through a tough time, the toughest time of their life.”

Hanlon explained his phone has been hopping with calls from people offering sponsorship for the event and took a call from Willie Mullins praising the event.

He said: “Willie Mullins said fair play for getting it going, it’s great for the whole racing community, for jockeys, the young lads, for everyone.

“We had decided that we weren’t going to do it this year,