Here are some shocking statistics: Over the course of a year, 238 documented rapes took place in Haiti; 140 of them to girls under the age of 18. Sexual violence is not uncommon in Haiti. In fact, UNICEF estimated that 100 000 Haitian girls are currently imprisoned as sex slaves. Some victims are grabbed off the street and later raped. Others are kidnapped to become sex slaves (prostitutes). Sometimes, parents willingly hand over their daughters because they are given false promises for a brighter future, not realizing they will be sold as slaves. The most horrible part of the problem is that these criminals are rarely if ever penalized by the government of Haiti. The families of these young girls are afraid to go to the police because they themselves may get into trouble with the government. Therefore, these criminals go free and are allowed to continue the violation they are committing to unspeakable numbers of young women and girls. We must act now. We must do something to protect the young women from sexual violence and slavery. While we walk through the streets of our country free from this danger, the young women of Haiti do not. Because this is a time where much attention is being showered on Haiti due to the catastrophic earthquake, the time is perfect to ask for a change in the way these young women are protected and their abductors and attackers prosecuted. By signing your name to this petition, you indicate your request for more stringent laws and police protection for the girls of Haiti and stiffer penalties for those who violate these laws. Every signature counts. You too can make a difference.