Sen. Anne Carney accepts Survivor Justice Leader Award from the Jensen Project
AUGUSTA – Last week, Sen. Anne Carney, D-Cape Elizabeth, accepted the Survivor Justice Leadership Award from the Jensen Project. Presented during Human Trafficking Awareness and Prevention Month, the award recognizes her unwavering leadership in strengthening protections for victims of trafficking and advancing survivor-centered legislative solutions.
“Survivors of sexual violence and sex trafficking face extraordinary challenges. Our investments in robust care resources and legal safety nets are essential to support their recovery and chart a path to a secure future. Meanwhile, focusing on reducing demand by increasing consequences for traffickers protects other Mainers from suffering the same harms,” said Sen. Carney. “I am honored to receive this award and proud of the bipartisan collaboration that has made possible so much progress towards survivor justice in recent years.”
Sen. Carney has been a staunch advocate for survivor justice throughout her time in the Maine Senate. In the face of waning federal support for essential services for victims of crimes, Sen. Carney has championed efforts to sustain these vital programs. Last year, she sponsored LD 1139 to fund programs for victims of sexual assault, domestic violence and other crimes. Ultimately incorporated into the biennial budget, these resources support victim services ranging from medical care and counseling to legal advocacy and the 24/7 domestic violence helpline.
From her position of leadership on the Judiciary Committee, Sen. Carney also played an instrumental role in advancing a pair of bills in 2023 that made Maine the first state to adopt a survivor-centered approach to commercial sexual exploitation. Recognizing that commercial sexual exploitation is often a last resort for those facing economic insecurity, substance use disorder, domestic violence and other threats to their well-being, these new laws remove criminal liability for trafficked persons while increasing penalties those who solicit commercial sexual exploitation. Additionally, they expand exit strategies for victims of commercial sexual exploitation by funding critical services addressing root causes, like substance use and homelessness.
Sen. Carney also supported an effort to establish a pathway for survivors of sex trafficking and sexual exploitation to seal criminal records resulting from their victimization, passed into law earlier this month.
Sen. Carney’s work on survivor justice continues this year as the Judiciary Committee considers various bills to protect Mainers from sexual exploitation, including a proposal to ban the creation of AI-generated child sexual abuse material.
From left to right: Eleanor Kennelly Gaetan of the National Center on Sexual Exploitation, Tricia Grant of Just Love Worldwide, Sarah Ellis of TJP Advocacy, Sen. Anne Carney and Nathan Walsh of the Office of the District Attorney.
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