Having worked with trafficking survivors for eight years, I can tell you that the notification failure is almost as traumatic as the original crimes for some victims. Finding out through media that your abuser got a deal? That you weren't considered important enough for a phone call? It's a second betrayal. The legal questions are important but don't forget the human cost of how carelessly this was handled. These women deserved better.

What frustrates me most is that we're still having to explain why victims should be treated with basic dignity in the criminal justice system. This happened in 2008 and we're still arguing about it. The institutions that should protect people failed spectacularly, and I'm tired of seeing that minimized as just 'part of how the system works.' It works that way because we accept it.