How two N.S. Crown attorneys are fighting human trafficking in the province
Two special prosecutors tasked with taking on Nova Scotia's human trafficking cases are sharing some insight into what's currently happening in the province's courts.
The two Crown attorneys are the only ones in Nova Scotia who solely focus on human trafficking cases — with the second only recently hired after a funding boost from the province.
"It's very exciting to have the resources to give these very important cases due care and attention," said Alicia Kennedy, a Nova Scotia crown attorney.
Currently, the pair is handling 15 cases in Nova Scotia — the province with the highest rate of human trafficking per-capita in the country.
They say their cases often involve specific groups of people, including women and girls frequently, and more specifically, Indigenous and African Nova Scotians, who they say are overrepresented among victims.
"The majority of our open prosecutions involve single accused targeting multiple victims," said Crown Attorney Josie McKinney. "All of our files are grounded in manipulation; emotional and psychological manipulation."
"The offence itself relies on exploitation, it relies on taking advantage of vulnerabilities," said Kennedy.
An example the pair gave was of a woman forming what seemed to be a relationship with someone they know, which ends up turning into a controlling situation. They say, in some cases, victims are taken away — first to New Brunswick.
"And then from there, they move on to Quebec, Ontario, Alberta, Newfoundland, and that's known as 'the circuit,'" said McKinney.
Sometimes the crimes make headlines, like last November when police in Bridgewater charged two people after a New Brunswick teen called 911 saying she found herself in a Bridgewater motel without knowing how she got there. That case hasn't gone to trial yet.
"It's a very long re-traumatizing journey to get to justice," said Kendra MacKinnon, with the Canadian Centre to End Human Trafficking.
"It makes a huge difference that they're practicing from a trauma-informed lens and that they know the nuances that are involved in the human trafficking landscape."
"I believe that we have improved trust, public trust in the work that we're doing," said McKinney.
Both McKinney and Kennedy also teach community agencies and police about human trafficking — adding prevention to their roles as prosecutors.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Indian envoy warns of 'big red line,' days after charges laid in Nijjar case
India's envoy to Canada insists relations between the two countries are positive overall, despite what he describes as 'a lot of noise.'
Stormy Daniels describes meeting Trump during occasionally graphic testimony in hush money trial
With Donald Trump sitting just feet away, Stormy Daniels testified Tuesday at the former president's hush money trial about a sexual encounter the porn actor says they had in 2006 that resulted in her being paid to keep silent during the presidential race 10 years later.
U.S. paused bomb shipment to Israel to signal concerns over Rafah invasion, official says
The U.S. paused a shipment of bombs to Israel last week over concerns that Israel was approaching a decision on launching a full-scale assault on the southern Gaza city of Rafah against the wishes of the U.S.
Former homicide detective explains how police will investigate shooting outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion
Footage from dozens of security cameras in the area of Drake’s Bridle Path mansion could be the key to identifying the suspect responsible for shooting and seriously injuring a security guard outside the rapper’s sprawling home early Tuesday morning, a former Toronto homicide detective says.
Northern Ont. woman makes 'eggstraordinary' find
A chicken farmer near Mattawa made an 'eggstraordinary' find Friday morning when she discovered one of her hens laid an egg close to three times the size of an average large chicken egg.
Susan Buckner, who played spirited cheerleader Patty Simcox in 'Grease,' dead at 72
Susan Buckner, best known for playing peppy Rydell High School cheerleader Patty Simcox in the 1978 classic movie musical 'Grease,' has died. She was 72.
Jeremy Skibicki has 'uphill battle' to prove he's not criminally responsible in Winnipeg killings: legal analysts
Accused killer Jeremy Skibicki could have a challenging time convincing a judge that he is not criminally responsible for the deaths of four Indigenous women, a legal analyst says.
Bye-bye bag fee: Calgary repeals single-use bylaw
A Calgary bylaw requiring businesses to charge a minimum bag fee and only provide single-use items when requested has officially been tossed.
Alcohol believed to be a factor in boating incident after 2 men die: N.S. RCMP
Two Nova Scotia men are dead after a boat they were travelling in sank in the Annapolis River in Granville Centre, N.S., on Monday.