Cambridgeshire to host human trafficking summit to improve awareness

Policing experts and human rights campaigners are to meet in Cambridgeshire this weekend for the county’s first-ever Human Trafficking summit.

The event is being jointly hosted by Cambridgeshire Police and Crime Commissioner Sir Graham Bright, the Constabulary and anti-slavery campaign charity Unchosen and will take place on Saturday at South Cambridgeshire District Council’s chambers in Cambourne.

Experts from a range of sectors will be taking part in the seminar. The panel includes Detective Chief Inspector Rebecca Tipping, Force lead on human trafficking, Chief Inspector James Sutherland, Area Commander for South Cambridgeshire, Detective Chief Inspector Donna Wass, who leads Operation Pheasant for the Force, and representatives from charities such as the Red Cross, Salvation Army and Hope for Justice.

Unchosen uses the power of film to fight modern slavery and increase awareness of the issue. The charity has created an innovative collection of short films to give communities a deeper insight into the problem in a way that words cannot.

During Saturday’s event, the charity will be showcasing a number of emotive and informative films based on real-life slavery case studies in the UK. It will be followed by a question and answer session with the panel of experts.

Commenting on the summit, Sir Graham said: “This conference will bring together leading experts in the fight against modern slavery to discuss how we can effectively tackle the issue and, importantly, how we can proactively safeguard victims before they report their experiences to police.

“Human trafficking poses a significant risk to the safety of our communities and we are committed to working together with our partners to tackle the issue and protect victims from further harm. One of the best ways to achieve this is by educating professionals as well as members of the public about the danger signs so we can act early.”

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