Riverside County human trafficking conference expands, public welcome to hear from survivors and experts
Dr. Katariina Rosenblatt was a lonely young girl at 13 when she was befriended by a woman who attempted to lure her into a sex trafficking ring. A cycle of false hopes, drugs, violence, and threats ensued, keeping her trapped in “the life” until she barely managed to escape alive.
Dr. Katariina Rosenblatt
Today, Rosenblatt, author of Stolen, feels grateful to be able to speak publicly about her experience and how to protect other children and young adults from becoming victims. Rosenblatt will join other survivors and experts as panelists during a virtual human trafficking conference hosted by the Riverside County Department of Public Social Services.
The free four-day conference is scheduled between Jan. 11 and Jan.14. Members of the public and are welcome to sign up to attend the virtual conference by clicking here,
The conference coincides with National Human Trafficking Prevention Month, a time when partners and stakeholders spread awareness and commit to ending all forms of exploitation of humans.
Other speakers will include Opal Singleton, president and CEO of Million Kids; Clayton Cranford, the Cyber Safety Cop; and Norma Vazquez, Anti-Human Trafficking director of Operation SafeHouse.
“It is a challenge to get people to collaborate, to become aware. But most tips come from the general public,” said Rosenblatt. “If you see something, please say something because you could be the one to make a difference.”
Anyone can report suspected cases of human trafficking by calling the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888.
Image Sources
- human trafficking: Shutterstock
