Trafficking and the Conscience of Humanity

Larry May is an internationally renowned social/political philosopher and legal theorist who has published more than three dozen books. He is W. Alton Jones Professor of Philosophy and Law Emeritus at Vanderbilt University and Professor of Philosophy Emeritus at Washington University in St. Louis. He has published over three dozen books including a four-volume study of the moral foundations of international criminal law, and a three-volume history of legal and political thought. He is currently working on a book on ethnic cleansing.

"This book provides an important examination of the challenging subject of human trafficking, especially children. The book makes an impassioned case for the moral obligations to respond, and the legal and political possibilities to address this social and human problem. It is a critical contribution to a necessary social conversation that will have a lasting impact."Mary Burke, Professor of Psychology, Carlow University"This book provides an important examination of a socially and politically relevant and challenging topic. The exploration of how international law could be applied to hold traffickers accountable for trafficking children is important, given legal loopholes which exist to prevent trafficking prosecution both domestically (in the US) and abroad. International law has a unique opportunity to make a difference in sex trafficking cases. The overlap between child abuse and child trafficking is clear and well covered in this book, providing a framework for legal approaches to trafficker prosecution."Dr. M. Elizabeth Bowman, PhD, LCSW, Lived Experience Expert"Larry May powerfully exposes the unconscionable horrors of child trafficking in its myriad insidious forms. In response, he proposes how international law can help stanch these harms."Mark A. Drumbl, Director at the Transnational Law Institute, Washington and Lee University

• 1. Introduction2. Jurisdiction and Border Issues3. Who are the Children?4. Movement of Persons5. Coercion6. Exploitation7. Child Prostitution8. Child Pornography9. Forced “Marriage”10. Corrupt “Adoption”11. Organ “Donation”12. Refugee and Migrant Abuse13. Child Soldiers14. The New “Grooming” and Orphanage Abuse15. Parental Child Abuse16. Complicity and Child Victims17. Punishing Child Traffickers18. Problems with Domestic Prosecutions19. Trafficking and International Criminal Law20. Humanity’s Conscience21. Concluding ThoughtsAppendix: Early Examples in Myths and Codes