U.S. Sen. Gary Peters is scheduled to visit Wayne State University's medical school Monday to push for legislation helping health care professionals better identify patients who are victims of human trafficking.
Peters, D-Bloomfield Township, has introduced a bill creating a pilot program for a medical school to develop best practices for identifying and preventing the spread of human trafficking — what the U.S. Department of Homeland Security calls “modern-day form of slavery involving the illegal trade of people for exploitation or commercial gain,” often resulting in sexual coercion.
“The people who are usually on the first lines, (who) usually have contact with the victims of trafficking, are the medical professionals,” Peters said in an interview Monday morning. “Perhaps one of the most significant challenges in dealing with the problem is identifying who the victims are.”