Cardinal Vincent welcomed Karen Bradley MP, Minister for Modern Slavery and Organised Crime, Kevin Hyland, the UK's anti-slavery commissioner and Patricia Gallan, Assistant Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Force, to Caritas Bakhita House on Wednesday 4 March to tour the premises which will serve as a safe house for victims of human trafficking.
Also present were Sisters from the Adoratrice Order who have been supporting this initiative and have served trafficked women for over 25 years, and representatives from Farm Street Church, Mayfair, whose fundraising efforts are being directed to the ongoing support of the Bakhita Project.
Cardinal Vincent thanked all those present for their work combatting human trafficking across different strands of society including the Metropolitan Police, Diocese of Westminster and Bishops' Conference and for their involvement in the development of Caritas Bakhita House. Director of Caritas Westminster John Coleby explained the motivation for this initiative was not only a response to the greater awareness of this blight on humanity but the sad fact that human trafficking was actually on the increase - something quite shocking in our modern society. He went on to explain how the house would function and that the Caritas the team would continue to work closely with the Metropolitan Police and other key agencies to ensure a better future for all those welcomed into the house. For further information on the House, please see page 15 of the March 2015 edition of the Westminster Record.
