74 Victims of Human Trafficking During Six Years

Victims of human trafficking are mostly women and children younger than 9. Croatia is becoming a destination country for exploiting people.

During the last six years, there have been 74 recorded cases of human trafficking, mainly women, it was reported today during the marking of the European Day Against Human Trafficking.

The vice-president of the Croatian Cabinet Jadranka Kosor said in front of the national committee for the suppression of human trafficking, that the Cabinet have been working on these problems for six years.

Besides action plans and the national program, Kosor stresses that the Cabinet implemented a few important measures in the criminal law in order to protect victims from human trafficking.

“During the current year, according to statistical data, there have been five victims in our region. The Cabinet is trying to stop one of the greatest evils of mankind with its measures” said Kosor. She added that a new national program is being created in order to suppress this problem.

Croatia – a destination country for exploiting people

Ruzica Mandic said in front of the network of non-governmental organizations PETRA that Croatia is the last country in the region that started to face the problem of human trafficking. Mandic stresses that Croatia has not been a strictly transit country for some time, but it is a destination country in which people are exploited.

When asked if PETRA is content with the work of the police and other responsible authorities that should suppress the problem of trafficking, Mandic claimed that they are not content with their efficiency.

Victims of trafficking younger than nine

“PETRA is here as a corrector of state institutions. Often victims of trafficking, often women, are known to be defined as victims of prostitution. We want to stress the difference between prostitution and human trafficking, and stop the punishment of women in prostitution who did not fall into that whirlpool voluntarily” stresses Mandic. According to statistical data, the most frequent victims are aged from 17 to 24, but trafficking children is becoming increasingly popular.

“Children of the Roma are mainly in question, and the age limit is decreasing, so that now we have victims of human trafficking from seven to nine years old” said Mandic.

The PETRA association has implemented an SOS telephone since 2002 (0800-77-99) where you can report any suspicious activity, and where victims can seek help.

“Each year we receive up to four thousand calls, of which 20 percent is useful information.

Mainly it is the families of missing girls who call, and that data is then sent to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, explains Mandic.