Attorney General Chris Carr accepted the inaugural Wellspring Living Courage Award on Sunday, Oct. 8, 2023, at the annual Wellspring Living Gala presented by Delta Air Lines and UPS. This award recognizes those who have made impactful contributions to the fight for justice for sex trafficking victims. In his remarks, Carr highlighted the work of his office’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit, which rescued and assisted 116 victims last year alone. This Unit is led by Senior Assistant Attorney General Hannah Palmquist, who joined Carr in accepting the award alongside Assistant Attorneys General Chris Keegan and Kaitlyn Fain Salinas.
“Our Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit has successfully located and rescued missing children while identifying and prosecuting those who bought and sold them for sex,” said Carr. “We have watched as victims find the strength to testify in court while facing their traffickers and seeing justice realized often for the first time. We’re grateful for our partnership with Wellspring Living, and we dedicate this award to all survivors whose courage serves as our greatest inspiration as we work to recover those who have not yet been found.”
The Attorney General’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit led and assisted 33 case investigations last year and has already obtained 26 new convictions in 2023. This Unit has 37 defendants who are currently under indictment for sex or labor trafficking, with some facing charges in multiple jurisdictions around the state.
“Wellspring Living is honored to celebrate the tireless work and dedication led by Attorney General Chris Carr and his team,” said Christian Murphy, Deputy Director of Wellspring Living. “Their steadfast leadership demonstrates a powerful commitment to end human trafficking across our state and serves as a powerful model across the country. Thank you, Attorney General Carr, for helping bring justice to the light and protecting survivors through prosecuting the…
Read the full article here