Rev. Dr. Marian Hatcher
Shared Hope Policy Consultant
First, I must state as a retired civilian member of law enforcement, Mr. Combs is of course innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
The charges are grave and pierce my soul as a survivor of sex trafficking and substance use disorder. They include racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution (the Mann Act). All for the pleasure of an organized crime boss. Living above the law. What is alleged is horrific and triggering for those of us who suffered atrocities such as those outlined in the unsealed indictment.
Unfortunately, in the age of the internet many instances of what is alleged to have taken place is seen in video and pictures. While horrible to watch, they have yet to be proven as criminal acts, and many are obviously manipulated to implicate others.
Criminal enterprises are built on the backs of willing and unwilling participants. Many are victims of sexual and labor abuses. They can also be ordered to procure and dispense illegal items such as weapons, narcotics and more.
I was discussing Sean Combs’ arrest with a good friend, Doug Gilmer, President of Resolved Strategies LLC, and retired federal law enforcement leader at Homeland Security Investigations. We commiserated that as we focus on the carnage of the Sean Combs case, there is always more. Doug said,
“Homeland Security Investigations is leading the Sean Combs case, just as they did with R. Kelly. Big name cases, right? But they aren’t the only cases. In fact, during this past year, HSI has also identified and provided services to well over 700 other HT victims, initiated about 1400 new cases, made over 3600 human trafficking arrests, seen over 1000 indictments, and about 630 human trafficking convictions. This is just one federal law agency; it doesn’t include the work being done by state and local agencies across the country. HSI’s numbers are just a fraction of what is really out there. Meanwhile, everyone is focused on Sean Combs. It’s sensational. But guess what? The suspects are not all R Kelly’s and P Diddy’s. Some are gang members, but many others are schoolteachers, community leaders, and family members engaged in trafficking. The victims are young and old, are from every socio-economic class, every ethnicity, both foreign and U.S. citizens.” [Stats from the Homeland Security Investigations and the DHS Center for Countering Human Trafficking.]
Spanning decades, men and women alike are alleged to have endured prolonged abuse. The testimony by Cassandra “Cassie” Ventura, was four days of heart wrenching details of violence, manipulation and coercion. She bravely shared her dehumanization, aware of the victim blaming to come. In the later stages of her third pregnancy, she did for herself and others what was necessary and held Sean Combs accountable.
The common thread of all of this is societal numbness, the normality of this lifestyle. The pervasiveness. There are ecosystems of criminal and exploitive threads in our society that do not protect minors or adults. We must strive to address the willingness to ignore or accept, depending on which way you look at it, the lifestyle described above which exists in hiding and/or glaringly in our face. No one should have the opportunity or privilege to act with impunity, stripping victims of their dignity, respect and liberty. We must continue to bring all manner of bad actors to justice.
