There is a demand for children. We've had recent arrests in the past six months of young people who lured, groomed, recruited and sold children, so the demand is always there for young people. The majority are from 18 to 30 years old. Again, we see boyfriends selling girlfriends. We see a number of people posting their own ads. However, we have to acknowledge that children and young people are the target.
We also have to acknowledge that, in general, violence against women has not decreased in Alberta or in Canada and that this is also reflected in the sex industry. I think what we have noticed is that prior to PCEPA, in Edmonton we had over 41 women and transgender persons murdered between 1986 and 2014, with only 11 murders solved. Since PCEPA, we have had two young women murdered. Both were killed. One was strangled by a sex-trade buyer. She was a young woman from Quebec who had come to Edmonton. The other was murdered in a hotel.
We do have a strong relationship with police and community agencies, and there has been more reporting of violence. We have a specialized victim service unit, and we have worked very hard to build trust among people to know they can report violence. We will walk with them through reporting to police. We will walk with them through the traumatizing criminal justice system. We will help them with everything they need. I think these are critical factors to have in place and as part of what is working well in Edmonton.