OTTAWA – Conservative MP Michelle Ferreri has deleted a post on X that claimed the affordability crisis was driving parents to sell their children.

The Canadian Press had previously sent Ferreri questions about the post, which followed a visit to the Kawartha Sexual Assault Centre in Peterborough, Ontario.

In the now-deleted Aug. 16 post, Ferreri said there had been an increase in human trafficking and domestic violence and attributed those trends to affordability.

“The cost of living crisis has driven parents to abduct their own children,” Ferreri said.

On Wednesday, Ferreri said in a statement that the organization had presented her with “deeply disturbing statistics and shocking stories.”

“I admit that my statement released after my meeting was clumsily worded,” she said.

“While a cost-of-living crisis undeniably leads to an increase in a wide range of social problems – from drug abuse to crime to families struggling to afford food and shelter – it is of course in no way an excuse for human trafficking.”

Ferreri’s now-deleted post also linked a rise in reports of domestic violence at the center to the cost of living, saying, “Survival leads to crime.”

She had accused the NDP and the Liberals of having a “soft policy towards crime” which, in her opinion, prevented survivors from coming forward.

“We can change policy to hold criminals accountable. We can change policy to make life more affordable,” she said in the post.

In a statement, the executive director of the Kawartha Sexual Assault Centre said many clients over the past few decades have told people they were victims of human trafficking by a parent or guardian and that this problem is nothing new.

“We do not blame any particular government or party for sexual violence, but we call on all forms of government and all parties to take sexual violence seriously and invest in prevention and support for survivors,” said Brittany McMillan.

Ferreri is the Conservatives’ critic in the areas of family, children and social development.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published August 21, 2024.

Nojoud Al Mallees, The Canadian Press