In King’s case, she faced human trafficking from the age of 15 until 36. During an interview with the media, King explained that her criminal record involving concealed weapons and theft charges all tied back to human traffickers’ abuse of her.
King explained that if she did not explicitly follow the instructions of human traffickers, she would suffer beatings.
However, King’s pardon arrived on Thursday, December 22. This is when Whitmer issued a series of pardons.
In present day, King works as a board member of the National Survivor Network and advocates for survivors of human trafficking. Along with this, she’s founded a Grand Rapids home for survivors of sex trafficking.
Injustice after surviving human trafficking
Many people remain woefully unaware of how the criminal justice system fails survivors even after they’ve escaped their abusers. Poor criminal records can impact survivors’ abilities to get jobs, find housing, and otherwise reintegrate into society.
Ending the criminalization of human trafficking survivors remains critical in the fight to end human trafficking.
