Sex trafficking - Church move to speak out is welcome

WITH sex trafficking identified as a growing problem in Ireland, the decision of the Catholic church to speak out against this heinous practice could not be more timely.

Aptly, priests in the dioceses of Kerry and Cork and Ross will target the issue in homilies on the parable of the Good Samaritan.

Reportedly, the number of young women being lured to Ireland from Eastern European countries on the promise of a job is increasing.

Many are forced into prostitution by the ruthless criminals who profit from the trade.

This is not a new problem. In the 1980s, more women and children from Asia were enslaved by trafficking than in 400 years of the African slave trade.

Besides raising awareness of the problem, there is an urgent need to change legislation in order to root out sex trafficking and exploitation of enslaved women here.