HUNTINGTON — Attorney General Patrick Morrisey has been providing surgeons and residents training to target and reduce human trafficking in West Virginia.
Morrisey's effort most recently included Cabell Huntington Hospital.
"Our training focused on recognizing and responding to human trafficking in a health care setting," Morrisey said in an interview with The West Virginia Record. "From speaking with survivors, we know many trafficking victims are forced to seek medical treatment because of the effects of their exploitation."
Morrisey said the training provides medical providers a basic understanding of the problem as well as specific indicators that are likely to be found in a health care setting.
Indicators include burns, bruises, broken bones and broken teeth in different stages of healing. Medical providers may also find traumatic brain injuries related to frequent beatings and other trauma.
"More than 150 medical professionals have participated in multiple training sessions at Cabell Huntington Hospital," Morrisey said. "We anticipate additional sessions at other hospitals in the future."
Morrisey said trafficking victims are frequently subjected to traumatic injury or illness as a result of their exploitation.
"These injuries or ailments require medical treatment and thereby give medical providers an opportunity to assist victims in ending their exploitation," Morrisey said. "This means medical professionals are potentially key in recognizing human trafficking. They are among a small number of people a victim may encounter who can recognize and report suspected trafficking as they provide treatment following an injury or abuse. Without rescue, these victims are reduced to property and forced into dangerous situations that may go undetected for years."
Morrisey said by offering this training, his office believes it can help equip attendees with the necessary resources to better identify suspicious activity and tackle this growing criminal industry.
"Health care providers recognize the significance of the problem and tell us trafficking victims frequently seek treatment at facilities throughout West Virginia," Morrisey said. "Human trafficking is defined as commercial sex or labor that is induced by force, fraud or coercion. It is considered the fastest growing and second largest criminal industry in the world today, second only to drug trafficking according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services."
Morrisey said West Virginia’s increased rate of drug addiction, poverty and its large number of children in foster care make the state especially susceptible to human trafficking.
"Every citizen can help identify and end human trafficking by learning its indicators and making timely reports of suspected incidents," Morrisey said. "Our office is committed to equipping every individual and group with the tools they need to fight this growing crime."
Morrisey said, to that end, his office has engaged with thousands of community members and professionals across the state.
"These sessions have been presented to the community at large, as well as professionals in social service and child protective services, domestic violence counselors, prosecutors, educators and many levels of law enforcement, including police, school resource officers, natural resource officers and those involved with alcohol beverage control," he said.
Morrisey said everyday citizens can look for injuries and signs of abuse that the victim may be reluctant to explain.
"The victim also may be unable to speak for his or herself, appear malnourished, branded or marked with tattoos, such as a man’s name, dollar sign or bar code, provocatively dress regardless of weather or circumstance, fear authority figures, claim to be an adult even though his or her appearance is of an adolescent, engage in age-inappropriate relationships or discussions with older men, have sexually explicit profiles on social media websites, and allege to be visiting without the ability to tell others what city they are in or from," Morrisey said.
Changes in state law inspired Morrisey to start educating others on combating human trafficking. Morrisey seeks to equip training attendees with the resources to better identify the growing human trafficking industry.