Anti-Human Trafficking Committee (10/20/26)

Topic: Sex Trafficking Behind the Pulpit: Religious Coercion, Institutional Abuse, and the Fight for Justice from a Survivor's Perspective

Speakers: Judith Hernández, Survivor Advocate; Naderh H. Elrabadi, Managing Attorney, Elrabadi Law; Robert W. Fioretti, Attorney at Law, Disparti Law Group

Program Description:
Judith Hernández spent decades within La Luz del Mundo before publicly speaking out about her experiences and allegations of sexual abuse involving members of the church's leadership. Hernández has described her experience as a survivor of sexual assault, the religious pressures that discouraged disclosure, and the threats she experienced after leaving the organization. She was granted asylum in the United States in 2021 and subsequently helped establish a foundation assisting individuals seeking to leave the church. Her testimony is particularly timely in light of the federal sex-trafficking and racketeering charges announced in September 2025 against Naasón Joaquín García, who is already serving a California prison sentence following his guilty plea to offenses involving the sexual abuse of minors, and other alleged participants in the La Luz del Mundo.

Through Judith’s testimony and legal insights from attorneys Naderh Elrabadi and Robert Fioretti, this program examines the psychological, institutional, and legal dimensions of trafficking and sexual exploitation in high-control religious settings. Attendees will learn about:
1. Civil liability and institutional accountability in cases of religious abuse
2. Best practices for trauma-informed legal representation
3. Immigration protections and legal remedies for survivors facing retaliation or persecution
4. How federal human-trafficking statutes and RICO apply to organized institutional abuse

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