WASHINGTON - U.S. Sen. Sam Brownback, Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Near Eastern and South Asian Affairs, today held a hearing on the trafficking of women and children for the sex trade.

"We must continue to speak out about this insidious practice called sex trafficking," Brownback said. "Every time we expose its tactics through hearings, conferences, and other gatherings, another ray of light invades this darkness.

"International sex trafficking is the new slavery. It includes all the elements associated with slavery, including: abduction from family and home; being taken to a foreign land with an unfamiliar language; loss of identity and freedom; forced labor with no pay; subjection to frequent beatings and rapes; having no defense against one's captors; and eventually dying early because of this criminal abuse. Adding to this calamity, the victims are often very young - having their entire life stolen in such a brutal way.

"This is the terrible fate that awaits far too many women and children across the world. The numbers are staggering. We believe there to be millions worldwide who are suffering in the trafficking networks, and even conservative estimates place this number to be approximately 700,000 women and children trafficked annually across international borders and forced into prostitution. The State Department estimates that about 50,000 women and children are trafficked into America each year for this purpose.

"We cannot ignore this tragedy. Sen. Paul Wellstone and I are working on legislation which hopefully will present a comprehensive approach, moving toward the abolition of this insidious practice," Brownback said.

Witnesses at today's hearing included: three women from Siberia, Russia and Mexico who were victims of the sex trade - introduced by Dr. Laura Lederer, The Protection Project, Harvard University; William R. Yeomans, Chief of Staff, Civil Rights Division, Department of Justice; Dr. Lauran Bethel, Director, New Life Center - an after-care provider in Thailand; Virginia Coto, Esq., Director, Florida Immigration Center - represented the Mexican women forced into prostitution in Florida, as addressed in the Cadena Case; and Natalia Khodyreva, President, Angel Coalition - an after-care provider in Russia