Notes From the Field: Emphasizing a Victim-Centered Approach in Human Trafficking Prosecutions

• NCJ Number: 254652
• Author(s): Lara Mullin
• Date Published: May 2020
• Length: 3 pages
• Agencies: NIJ-Sponsored

Annotation

This NIJ "Notes from the Field" article discusses the philosophy of building human trafficking cases without relying on a victim to testify.

Abstract

Testifying or even appearing in court can be a traumatic experience for victims of human trafficking. Many human trafficking cases across the country are based upon a victim's testimony; however, Lara Mullin, senior deputy district attorney at the Denver District Attorney's Office, presents another option to building human trafficking cases without relying on a victim to testify. In this article from the National Institute of Justice's "Notes from the Field" series, which allows leading voices in the field to share their strategies for responding to the most pressing issues on America's streets today, she talks about her office's philosophy of human trafficking cases being victim-centered, not victim-built. Mullin says the Denver District Attorney's Office investigates these offenses as crimes of opportunity and financial gain.