From the earliest reports of Shamima Begum’s journey to Syria in 2015, one thing has been obvious to every professional working on the issue of human trafficking. Begum should have been recognised as a victim of human trafficking from the outset.
Both UK and international law define child trafficking as an act (“recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring or receipt of persons”) exercised upon someone under 18 for the purpose of exploitation.
Smuggling a 15-year-old girl over the Turkish-Syrian border in order to make her the child ‘bride’ of an ISIS combatant is not a borderline case under this definition. It is a textbook example of child trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation. That Begum actively sought to join ISIS plays no role here. A 15-year-old child cannot legally consent to being trafficked for sex any more than she can legally consent to sex in general. Under the UK’s Modern Slavery Act 2015, the victim’s consent is irrelevant.
