Addressing the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe, a Vatican representative said the protection of rights and human dignity is not exclusive to the wealthy but also to the most vulnerable, especially victims of human trafficking.
“The common good demands that access to justice, political representation, and the recognition of the dignity of others are not the privilege of the rich, but rather should be accessible especially to the weak and vulnerable,” said Msgr. Joseph Grech, representative of the Vatican’s permanent mission to the international organisations in Vienna.
“All people should enjoy the same universally recognised human rights and fundamental freedoms,” Grech told participants of the 20th Alliance Against Trafficking in Persons Conference in Vienna.
In his address, Grech said the numbers should “make us indignant” and that the international community must reflect on whether “we have done everything possible to reduce the discrepancy between the high number of estimated victims and the low numbers of court proceedings and convictions.”
He also highlighted the lack of adequate funding for criminal justice systems that, consequently, increases “the risk of criminals continuing their heinous work.”
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With thanks to Crux, Catholic News Service and Junno Arocho Esteves, where this article originally appeared.
