Originally posted by the Voice of America.
Voice of America content is produced by the Voice of America,
a United States federal government-sponsored entity, and is in
the public domain.


Brazil Turns to Social Workers to Support Slavery Victims

Reuters

   RIO DE JANEIRO - Brazil is aiming to build a network of social workers
   nationwide to support people rescued from modern slavery, and help
   prevent would-be victims from being trafficked, a top prosecutor said.

   The social workers would be primed to offer immediate post-rescue care
   to victims, and provide follow-up assistance such as ensuring that
   survivors are signed up for government aid and children are enrolled in
   school, Lys Sobral Cardoso said.

   "We (prosecutors) and labor inspectors are limited in our scope, we can
   ... take all punitive measures against employers," said Cardoso, who
   was appointed the new head of anti-slavery efforts of the country's
   Labor Prosecutor's Office last month.

   "But we also need to support the workers," she told the Thomson Reuters
   Foundation by telephone. "And the support we can give is to trigger a
   network of social workers, which will ... map out his life
   post-rescue."

.