Seminar on human trafficking scheduled for Friday in Batesville

April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month, and two experts dedicated to fighting the practice of human trafficking will speak on April 8 in Batesville.

Family Violence Prevention and Batesville Rape Crisis Center will welcome Megan Brown, the executive director and co-founder of Hope Found of Northeast Arkansas, and Beth Kratochvil, program director of Into the Light, Friday, at 2 p.m., to the George Rider Community Room at First Community Bank for a seminar on the subject. First Community Bank is located at 1325 Harrison St. in Batesville.

Hope Found of Northeast Arkansas in Jonesboro was created by Brown along with Miranda Ballard, Audra King, and Mary Sellers after all women shared a mutual passion to end human trafficking in northeast Arkansas. According to its website, Into the Light is designed to foster trauma-informed, long-term relationships with children whose lives have been impacted by the trauma of the sex industry in Arkansas.

Brown said thousands of students, parents, and educators have had the chance to learn about trafficking since the organization has been founded.

“Since its beginning, Hope Found has had the chance to educate not only students, educators, and parents, but also social service and health care providers as well,” Brown said. “With our help, they are able to recognize and prevent human trafficking in their sphere of influence.”

Along with educating, Hope Found has been able to provide services and resources to over 100 individuals impacted by human trafficking and has an established board that works hard to establish partnerships throughout their community.

“Our board members continue to provide resources for local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies,” Brown said. “In 2020, Hope Found was asked to join the Department of Homeland Security’s NEA Human Trafficking Task Force to provide services and resources to victims recovered by law enforcement.”

Brown explained that they were able to participate in their first sting operation in January 2020, which resulted in recovering six victims and arresting 13 suspects.

Into the Light Program Director Beth Kratochvil’s mission is to provide refuge and restoration for minor survivors of sexual exploitation while bringing awareness and education to the issue of human sex trafficking.

“Awareness is the key to curbing the rise of trafficking in our area,” Kratochvil stated. “Trafficking is happening around our state, including the 16th judicial district.”

Into the Light helps survivors and victims with crisis intervention and relationship direct advocacy.

“We are instrumental in crisis response,” Kratochvil explained. “We also help medical professionals and educators understand and identify child sex trafficking.”

“I am very grateful to Megan for her spirit of collaboration,” Kratochvil said. “We are looking forward to promoting this event.”

Both speakers are passionate about human trafficking and hope to spread awareness and let everyone know that human trafficking may be different in every area, but its effect is still real.

“Human trafficking in rural areas does look different than in large cities,” Brown said. “We hope to help educate and spread awareness about what trafficking looks like in both areas while we are in your area.”

Brown hopes to continue spreading awareness and to one day build a survivor restoration campus for survivors of human trafficking and exploitation.

With over 25 years of experience as an educator, Kratochvil began her journey as a volunteer and hopes to continue to help and serve those in need.

“I’ve seen the faces of victims and heard their stories,” Kratochvil said. “They are not just statistics; they are hurting people — people like you and me that need someone to hear them, believe them, and beside them. Together, we can end the blight of sex trafficking.”

For more information on the seminar, contact Family Violence Prevention at (870) 793-4011 or Batesville Rape Crisis Center at (870) 698-0006.