can we discuss this a bit.....
i am feeling extremely concerned after a phone call i received last night....
every now and then sex workers in distress phone me out of desperation i think looking for advice or support. last night a young woman....12 years old but i say woman because she spoke like a woman.....called me desperate to find help.
forced into sex work at the age of 9 she stated she was pregnant and needed an abortion and did not want to "work" at sex work any more.her childs voice filled with the experiences of a slave was almost unbearable to hear.
sexually abused by her parents she did not want to go home and did not want to call police stating that they would just out her back into foster care and that that was worse that it was at home.she stated she could not get an abortion as she needs parental consent until she is 14...
i talked to her for an hour trying to explain that not all police would judge her and recommended talking to our sex industry liason officer who is very supportive ...i also recommended she go to pace or peers or wish and find support and resources there. she stated she could not leave the aprtment unless she was going on a call and would be expected to return with money...
in the end i recommended she contact rape relief via the crisis line as in my opinion they are really the only organization equiped for such a rescue....
i just am completely frustrated by the gaps in our system for protection of youth. she did not want to be housed with street entrenched or drug addicted women nor should she have to be. she was terrified of the DTES and was uncomfortable accessing services there....most services are ghettoized in the east end....
we all talk about protection of youth but what are we really doing?if i could just be alone with the people doing this to this girl....just for s few minutes....or the men using this child for sexual gratification......fuck.....
i felt completely helpless, and still do....she left no number so i don't know if she called rape relief or not but i will continue to worry and wonder if she is ok.
too young for welfare, too young to find a job, too young to be taken seriously by police, too young to access women support services.....what the hell are we doing?
i have only ever encountered someone this young once before and it was as disturbing to me then as it is now. what can i do? there is nothing i can do.....
the other young woman i met was in prince george and was also 12 having been a sex worker for 2 years. it was her birthday and we got her a cake and gave her some presents...she cried and so did all of us....when it was all said and done she had to go back to the abuse, we couldn't help her. there was no where we could take her, no supports for her to access...what could we do? bring her to vancouver?i mean shit.....
i would like us to talk about ways we can begin to provide these children with the supports they need and begin to protect canadian children in a meaningful way.the complete and utter failure of our system to adress issues facing youth is disgusting....
what can we do......right now......