Montclair welcomes students and faculty from Austria to learn about human trafficking

Students and faculty from the University of Graz Law School in Austria visited Montclair State University for the second year in a row from October 28th-31st, as part of a Criminal and Public Law Perspectives class on Transnational Crime and Justice – Human Trafficking. Dr. Daniela Peterka-Benton, Director of the Global Center on Human Trafficking and an Associate Professor in the Department of Justice Studies, served as the stateside partner for this transatlantic learning experience.

Dr. Peterka-Benton planned a rigorous program of lectures, presentations and field trips during their four-day visit with the support of the Global Center on Human Trafficking and the Department of Justice Studies.

“International cooperation and collaboration are vital in fostering a global perspective on justice” – Peterka-Benton

The group began their program with a day of lectures and roundtables focusing on the crime of human trafficking, its enforcement and prosecution, and the impact on survivors. In a powerful panel discussion with two human trafficking lived experience experts, Gina Cavallo, a well-known local New Jersey survivor advocate and anti-trafficking consultant, and Christabelle Robinson, Program Coordinator at the Global Center on Human Trafficking, shared their vital knowledge about the human trafficking experience and the importance of survivor leadership in anti-trafficking initiatives.

“Survivor leaders, advocates, and professionals with lived experience bring critical insight into the realities of human trafficking by combining expertise with lived experience, challenging misconceptions and leading with truths often obscured by mainstream narratives,” said Robinson. “Lived experience shows us the path forward, transforming how we understand, confront, and prevent human trafficking.”

Additional talks over the groups 4-day visit included a presentation by Kayla Munoz, a victim specialist in the Newark Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, as well as a roundtable on legal service needs for survivors with Jessica Kitson, Director of Legal Advocacy Volunteer Lawyers for Justice & Avtar Sheppard-Singh, Esq., Chief Attorney for Legal Services of New Jersey.

As part of their Transnational Crime and Justice class, our Austrian visitors were also interested in experiencing the U.S. Justice System more broadly, which they were able to do during a visit of Northern State Prison in Newark. The highlight of this visit was a meet and greet with inmates sharing their stories and answering questions. It was a deeply impactful experience for the Austrian students and their faculty to see a correctional approach that is very different from their own experiences.

The group also visited the US District Court for the District of New Jersey in Newark and was welcomed by the Honorable Patty Shwartz, Court of Appeals Judge for the Third Circuit, and the Honorable Julien X. Neals, United States District Judge for the District of New Jersey and their staff. Both judges took extensive time out of their day to speak to the students about the federal court system and human trafficking cases in particular. In addition to the individual sessions with both judges and a presentation from the U.S. Marshalls’ Service, the group also had the chance to witness two sentencing hearings.

This year’s program was again well-received by our Austrian colleagues and keeps garnering a lot of interest from other students in Graz.

“International collaboration in academia is essential for promoting cross-cultural understanding and addressing global challenges like human trafficking. Both students on-site and those in Austria, who followed our activities via social media, were inspired by the unique insights into the U.S. justice system and the invaluable learning experience gained through this program”, said and Dr. Nina Kaiser and Dr. Sebastian Gölly (University of Graz).

For more information about this annual visitation program, please reach out to peterkabentd@montclair.edu.