Santa Marta group hears that 'human trafficking is hiding in plain sight'

The Senior Leaders Summit on Collectively Combating Human Trafficking was co-hosted by An Garda Síochána and the Santa Marta Group at University College Cork on 26-27 June.

The Catholic Bishops' Conference of Ireland was represented by Bishop Alan McGuckian SJ of Down and Connor, who is Chairman of the Social and International Affairs Commission and also Chairman of the Conference's Justice and Peace Council; Bishop Fintan Gavin of Cork and Ross; and Dr Gary Carville, Executive Secretary of the Social and International Affairs Commission. Representatives from a number of faith-based organisations working in this area were also present.

The summit focused on the prevalence of human trafficking in Ireland and beyond. Speakers included Helen McEntee TD, Minister for Justice, representatives from An Garda Síochána, the Police Service of Northern Ireland, and police and security personnel in Britain and the United States. Participants received a wide range of input on how police forces are working together and with various groups and organisations in society to tackle the issue through increased public awareness and cooperation. A personal testimony was heard from a survivor of sexual exploitation in Ireland, and the conference also addressed cross-border sexual exploitation, labour exploitation and forced crime. There were calls for legislative changes and more resources to enable the police to act more effectively in this area.

On the occasion of the event, the Irish Bishops issued a statement on human trafficking, stating that “human trafficking often goes unnoticed. It is often said that human trafficking is hidden in plain sight. Therefore, we have a responsibility as a society to raise awareness of this issue among our citizens. Many groups, including Catholic groups such as APT (Act to Prevent Trafficking) and Stella Maris Apostleship of the Sea, are already working to combat human trafficking in Ireland. Their work includes directly supporting victims and raising awareness in the education, health and hospitality sectors, as well as security and airport staff.”

The bronze sculpture (pictured above) titled Let the oppressed go free is a work by Canadian Catholic artist Timothy P Schmalz, exhibited at the Cork Summit. The image includes Bishop Alan McGuckian SJ, Bishop of Down & Connor and Chairman of the Irish Catholic Bishops' Commission for Social and International Affairs, Cardinal Vincent Nichols, Archbishop of Westminster and Chairman of the Santa Marta Group, and Bishop Fintan Gavin, Bishop of Cork & Ross.

The sculpture is dedicated to victims of trafficking and to all women, especially nuns, who work to free women from modern slavery. The work depicts Saint Josephine Bakhita, the patron saint of enslaved and trafficked people, herself a former slave, freeing a mass of people from hiding. This small model is identical to several 20-foot versions of the sculpture, located outside St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican.

To read the full text of the bishops' statement on human trafficking, click here, or to learn more about the Santa Marta group, please click here.