Iowa Supreme Court Justice, Mark Cady, is shown with George Belitsos, Board chair for the Iowa Network Against Human Trafficking. Dr. George thanked Chief Justice Cady for his advocacy for improving the judicial branch’s knowledge and response to trafficking.
In his annual State of the Judiciary address to the 2016 legislature, Chief Justice Cady said that “Iowa judges should play a greater role over the next year to fight human trafficking across the state as cases emerge in their courtrooms.”
The Chief Justice said “We can no longer view human trafficking as a problem reserved for major cities in America. It exists as a dark underworld in many communities across Iowa and is associated with some of Iowa’s most iconic places and events. There is no justice when children are abused and exploited. A prompt, comprehensive and coordinated effort is needed to identify victims of human trafficking and provide the services and protection they need.” Justice Cady also said the state’s judicial branch led a training for judges and law enforcement officers on the dynamics of the crime that will allow them to “better address the human trafficking cases that are emerging in our courts.”
Dr. George thanked the Chief Justice for his support of creating the Office to Combat Human Trafficking in the Department of Public Safety as well as the newly created position of Human Trafficking Statewide Coordinator within the Iowa Attorney General’s Office. These are big steps forward in Iowa’s fight to end trafficking in all its forms. Dr. George asked the Chief Justice to continue to call attention to the growing problem of trafficking in his 2017 State of the Judiciary address.