Profiting from abuse

The commercial sexual exploitation of children assumes many forms and has many faces. Children are enslaved by a chain of actors, all of whom profit in some way. This report is a tribute to the courage of the many children who have been affected by this inhuman trade. It presents the moving words of the children themselves, as well as the passionate and informed opinions of distinguished personalities and authorities. Part of the growing chorus of committed and outspoken people coalescing around this burning subject, they speak of the measures needed to counter it, as well as their commitments to ending it. President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo of the Philippines writes with passion about the horror she feels in response to this brutal trade in children and about her unequivocal commitment to fighting the sexual abuse and exploitation of children. Archbishop Diarmuid Martin, the Holy See's Permanent Observer to the United Nations Office in Geneva, writes a poignant essay about a priest's efforts to help young women who have been trafficked to Italy from Nigeria. This publication conveys the words and experiences of young people, how they become involved in the sex trade, how they feel about their lives, what they need, what they fear and what they hope for.