Pope Francis has agreed to visit a local city jail Sunday morning where he will potentially meet with victims of commercial sexual exploitation who are imprisoned on prostitution charges. Pope Francis has adamantly spoken about the horrors of human trafficking and sexual exploitation. CSE Institute Board of Advisor member, Mary DeFusco of the Defender Association of Philadelphia has been instrumental in encouraging Pope Francis to visit sexually exploited women who are in need of his hope, kindness, and compassion. The thought of potentially meeting Pope Francis has brought a ray of light to some of these women, including women represented by DeFusco in the Project Dawn Court —a problem solving court designed to rehabilitate and heal the trauma of the women who have been repeatedly convicted of prostitution charges, rather than punish them for their exploitation. CSE Institute Board of Advisor member, the Honorable Marsha H. Neifield presides over the Project Dawn Court.
Read the media coverage of the Pope’s visit to the victims of sexual exploitation.