Yazidi activist and sexual slavery survivor, Nadia Murad, and Congolese gynaecologist, Denis Mukwege, won the Nobel Peace Prize.

The laws punishes human trafficking, but prostitution remains unregulated. Christian organisation Esclavitud XXI hopes the Nordic Model will be adopted soon.

Gavà (in Spain) fights sexual slavery by putting pressure on clients. “Are you enjoying this? She is not”, a campaign against sexual exploitation says.

The Belgian city of Ostend will convert an abandoned hangar into a brothel. “Many prostitutes think they are protected, but they are not”, says a Christian social worker in the region.

Volunteers working with the Christian association Valoare Plus set up support groups in secondary schools to mentor teenagers in risk of being trafficked for pornography and prostitution.

Businesses like Purnaa, Made in Freedom and Roam Living are helping to change the textile industry by offering good jobs in a context dominated by exploitation.

“Prostitution is nobody’s dream,  it’s a very traumatic lifestyle”, says Kathy Bryan, director of the Elevate Academy. She mentors former victims.

The FBI shuts down major prostitution websites and prosecutes owners. Christian activists celebrate move and hope it will help fight sex trafficking in the US and abroad.

In Spanish cities, “flyers on cars offering services for 20 euros and a drink – it’s so normal most people don’t bat an eye”, says filmmaker Mikaela Bruce.

Police experts, the city hall and anti-trafficking movements raised awareness on sexual exploitation of women in Valencia (Spain). A workshop linked pornography to the eroticisation of violence.

Christian Aid took action after two sexual misconduct cases were reported in 2017. Organisations under suspicion could lose European Union funds.

A short film shows the work of Pastor Gennaro Chiocca among victims of trafficking in Italy, the European country with the highest rate of prostitution.

A video about the way traffickers target teenage girls online, produced by anti-slavery gorup Abolishion.

More than 32,000 cases of human trafficking have been analysed by Polaris, a leader in the global fight to eradicate modern slavery.

The 16-year-old girls had been offered jobs as kitchen assistants. An increasing number of exploited women in Spain are nationals.

What are the views of Evangelical Focus readers on the refugee crisis, marriage, ecumenism, sexual exploitation and the reliability of the Bible? We have selected the answers to some of the questions asked on our website.

A rehabilitated Spanish pimp explains how prostitution rings pay only €1,200 for an enslaved woman. “They become a blank cheque, the benefit of their exploitation could exceed €200,000”.

The European Freedom Network, formed by more than 200 partner organisations, becomes a legal entity. Experts, campaigners and Christian workers shared resources at the 2017 “Bridge” conference.

On October, 15, churches celebrate #FreedomSunday to raise awareness of world’s fastest growing global crime. Other initiatives all around the world include conferences and marches for freedom.

The new video of the European Freedom Network addresses the dangers of social media. 

The Spanish police and Europol coordinate a “pioneer” action through the European Technical Research Unit. At least 39 people arrested in 18 countries.

“Criminals may start with social networking platforms and then move to phone and video chat”, says Christian expert Ioana Humelnicu. “Being judged is the biggest fear of victims.”

Sexual slavery is “still taboo in our society”, says Mikaela Bruce, director of “Pasarea” (The Bird). It tells the story of a Romanian girl trafficked into Spain for prostitution.

“It is known that a good part of the women who are recruited for prostitution are minors”, says sociologist Richard Poulin.

“Some of the most traumatised people I have met are trafficked women whose customers have insisted –sometimes forcefully– on replicating acts from porn films”, explains lawyer expert on pornography Dr. Ann Olivarius.