Since the creation of a specialized squad against pimping two years ago, at least three victims per week have managed to denounce their tormentor, the authorities rejoice.
• Read also: Behind the scenes of a customer hunt
“When we reach out to someone who is demolished and [que la personne] grabs it, it’s the most beautiful gift. It’s to show the victims that they can get through it, that we exist and that we work so hard,” says the head of the Integrated Anti-Pimping Squad (EILP) with conviction. Karine Lacroix.
Captain at the Sûreté du Québec, she manages a team of around a hundred people, including 35 investigators, who devote themselves daily to eradicating sexual exploitation.
Since the creation of the squad in October 2021, it has encountered more than 575 victims. Of this number, 30% were minors.
A worrying statistic, certainly, but which does not reflect the extent of the sexual exploitation of adolescent girls.
“Many will report as adults, but we know very well that they probably started when they were minors,” explained Captain Lacroix.
Karine Lacroix, captain and boss of the Integrated Squad to Combat Pimping at the Sûreté du Québec.
Photo Agence QMI, JOEL LEMAY
The victim comes first
But not all victims agree to denounce their tormentor (or their tormentors).
In 112 of the files opened, the police did not pursue the investigation.
“If the person is not ready to move forward, we respect their decision. The victim comes first,” explained police officer Lacroix.
Despite everything, the victim will not be left to their own devices: they will be given support, they will be directed if they need help with food, housing or obtaining new identity cards for example.
And sometimes, it’s a few months or even years later that she will decide to put her pimp out of harm’s way.
“Unfortunately, they will often have experienced violence in the meantime,” laments Karine Lacroix.
But in addition to helping the victims, the police do not skimp on efforts to attack pimps.
In a little over two years, the EILP put handcuffs on the wrists of 173 individuals, accused of having forced girls to offer sexual services throughout Quebec.
And the abusive clients…
“Their goal is simple: to make quick money. And many don’t even have remorse. Even incarcerated, some will keep control over their victim, will succeed in continuing the exploitation, will contact her or her relatives to ensure that she does not appear in court,” laments Karine Lacroix.
And the police do not only target pimps. They also attack “client-abusers”, ready to spend their money to have sex with a teenage girl.
In the ads posted to catch them, it was always explicit that the person offering the sexual services was a minor. In such cases, the announcement may be reported to the site managers… which is rarely done.
“An ad can be viewed by 1,000 people per day without it being reported,” laments Captain Lacroix.
The squads will also attack clients who abuse adult victims.
“For example, in Quebec, we have around twenty cases concerning sex workers who denounce situations where problematic clients threaten, harass and exceed their limits,” she explained.
Victims of all classes
“It is not true that the victims of pimps are all girls from youth centers. There are children of doctors, journalists, judges and police officers,” insisted Captain Karine Lacroix, adding that her team receives a lot of calls for help from destitute parents. “They see that their child is dropping out of school, falling in love with the wrong guy. They ask themselves: “What do we do?”,” she says. She insists: even if the victim is not ready to denounce, the police have other techniques to corroborate the observations of parents or other witnesses.
Tackling “client-abusers”
In two years, the EILP arrested around 40 men, aged 21 to 67, for trying to buy the body of a teenage girl. “It fascinates me that still in 2023, some people believe that the purchase of sexual services is legal,” laments Captain Lacroix. The Supreme Court also ruled last year that the publication of false advertisements by police officers to trap customers on the Internet who are specifically looking for sexual relations with minors is legitimate.
Despite this judgment, a Saguenéan, Yvan Truchon, who cried out for police provocation, was recently dismissed by a judge. According to the latter, it is clear that the man was never forced to commit the offense.
Awareness from primary school
Young people enter the world of prostitution from the age of 13, recalls police officer Lacroix. Thus, awareness tools aimed at young people in the fifth and sixth year of primary school are in preparation. She insists: parents must also be vigilant, since recruitment on social networks has exploded since the pandemic. Applications like Instagram and TikTok are still popular with pimps.
More survivors to the rescue
The team of Survivors, former victims of sexual exploitation who help the police thanks to their experience, will expand in 2024, we have learned. A team should very soon be developed in the Quebec region. The Survivors selected by the police were already victims of a pimp, had to go through a legal process to have him convicted and have since escaped.
They may be called upon to support people who are sexually exploited or at risk of becoming so, in addition to offering support to their loved ones. EILP hopes to add men, trans people and others from Indigenous communities to the team.
What is EILP:
- Specialized squad enhanced in October 2021 following a recommendation from the Special Commission on the Exploitation of Minors
- Dedicated to the fight against pimping, human trafficking for sexual exploitation and juvenile prostitution on a regional and international scale
- Targets both pimps and client-abusers
- This investigation structure brings together the police services of Montreal, Quebec, Laval, Gatineau, Longueuil, as well as the RCMP and the SQ.