Susan Sarandon Campaigns Against Prosecution Of Child Sex Slaves

Susan Sarandon Campaigns Against Prosecution Of Child Sex Slaves

Susan Sarandon has joined other celebrities and activists -- including Somaly Mam, a sexual slavery survivor and major force in the fight against child prostitution -- in calling for legislative action to protect children forced into sexual slavery.

Though children under the age of 16 cannot legally consent to sex anywhere in the U.S., they can still currently be sentenced to juvenile hall for prostitution. Without the protection of Safe Harbor laws, children involved in the commercial sex trade can be prosecuted for their own abuse and exploitation in almost every U.S. state. Only N.Y., Conn., Ill. and Wash. state have put in place protective sanctions around children under 16 to keep them from being criminally charged with prostitution.

With the aid of actress Susan Sarandon and activist Somaly Mam, The Body Shop and End Child Prostitution And Trafficking (ECPAT-USA) have teamed up to push the remaining 46 states to enact their own Safe Harbor laws. They have already collected over 9,000 signatures on their online petition.

In addition to signing the petition, the campaign asks supporters to purchase The Body Shop's Soft Hands Kind Heart hand cream. A portion of the proceeds from the sales will go directly to ECPAT.

To learn more about the trafficking of both women and children, visit ECPAT-USA or the Somaly Mam Foundation.

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