This morning I found myself sitting in a waiting room watching in amazement as the news told of three lost women’s escape from a home where they have been held captives since their disappearances. According to a news article on CNN.com, Michele Knight was 20 years old when she went missing in August of 2002, Amanda Berry was kidnapped after leaving work the evening before her 17th birthday in 2003 and Gina DeJesus disappeared at the age of 14 in 2004. As is the case in many domestic human trafficking and slavery cases, neighbors had no idea the women were trapped in the home next door. (“Three women reunited with families after years in captivity” Read the CNN article here)

You may think situations like this are rare occurrences in the US, but unfortunately, for every celebrated rescue that makes the headlines, there are thousands that go missing and are never heard from again. Authors Kevin Bales and Ron Soodalter write of many of these human trafficking cases in their book The Slave Next Door: Human Trafficking and Slavery in America Today. In the case of these Cleveland women, they were being held not far from where they were taken captive. For many others, they are transported into other cities, other countries or criss-crossed between states so that finding them is next to impossible. While many are hidden behind locked doors to suffer a constant stream of visitors that take from their bodies, many others are hidden in plain sight at massage parlors, restaurants, farmers fields, and street corners.

I rejoice with the families of these three women whose lives can now begin again. I am thrilled to hear of the courage of Amanda Berry who took the opportunity she was given to attempt escape and I applaud the neighbor who helped her. I am thankful that the young child that was also rescued will have an opportunity to go to school, to play outside and to make friends.

How many more are begging God to rescue them too?

The Polaris Project has developed numerous resources for recognizing signs of human trafficking and how to help the victims. I encourage you to become familiar with this information so that you can help a victim when you meet one. Here is a partial list of trafficking red flags taken directly from their website:

Common Work and Living Conditions: The Individual(s) in Question

• Is not free to leave or come and go as he/she wishes
• Is under 18 and is providing commercial sex acts
• Is in the commercial sex industry and has a pimp / manager
• Is unpaid, paid very little, or paid only through tips
• Works excessively long and/or unusual hours
• Is not allowed breaks or suffers under unusual restrictions at work
• Owes a large debt and is unable to pay it off
• Was recruited through false promises concerning the nature and conditions of his/her work
• High security measures exist in the work and/or living locations (e.g. opaque windows, boarded up windows, bars on windows, barbed wire, security cameras, etc.)

Poor Mental Health or Abnormal Behavior

• Is fearful, anxious, depressed, submissive, tense, or nervous/paranoid
• Exhibits unusually fearful or anxious behavior after bringing up law enforcement
• Avoids eye contact

Poor Physical Health

• Lacks health care
• Appears malnourished
• Shows signs of physical and/or sexual abuse, physical restraint, confinement, or torture

You can make a difference to one trapped in human trafficking and slavery!

He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God? – Micah 6:8

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