28/07/2021
In association with EUROsociAL+ and AIAMP, FIIAPP launches a campaign to make the corruption that conceals or facilitates trafficking more visible, highlighting the ways it can be combated
False identity documents, hospitality licenses for brothels, tip-offs about police raids… The corruption of certain public officials including police officers, prosecutors, immigration agents and municipal workers is the invisible part of trafficking, especially in cases of sexual exploitation. Every year 1.7 million women and girls around the world are victims of sexual exploitation.
The # FiscalíasContralaCorrupciónylaTrata (Prosecutors Against Corruption and Trafficking) campaign, promoted by FIIAPP in association with EUROsociAL+ and the Ibero-American Association of Public Ministries of Ibero-America (AIAMP), focuses on corruption that conceals or facilitates human trafficking. “The trafficking of girls and women to be sexually exploited would not be possible without the complicity of public employees who look the other way, enable, facilitate, and sometimes even control the activity of criminal trafficking groups” explained Sonia González, coordinator of Democratic Governance of FIIAPP’s EUROsociAL+ programme.
“After intense work exchanging experiences, we have helped to dimension the nature and scope of the problem, positioning the issue on the international agenda and promoting a strategic alliance between prosecutors for trafficking and the fight against corruption within the framework of the Ibero-American Association of Public Ministries (AIAMP)” added Borja Díaz Rivillas. who heads the FIIAPP-coordinated EUROsociAL+ “Women and corruption” initiative.
In Latin America, human trafficking is mainly tied in with sexual exploitation – 64% of trafficking cases in the region are for this purpose, a percentage that rises to 81% in Central America. Three out of four victims of trafficking for sexual exploitation are women and girls.
“It is essential to foster early involvement in anti-corruption investigations in cases of trafficking in persons that so require it, the strengthening of analysis capacity and the reinforcement of anonymous reporting mechanisms and whistle-blower protection for those reporting such activities. The importance of preventing such corruption and making the risk associated with them more visible is also stressed. Investigation should not confine itself to the bottom of the criminal chain, but rather use analysis tools to detect the links between trafficking, the public authorities and economic powers.
Corruption is only one part of the criminal chain of trafficking. Through programmes such as EL PAcCTO, FIIAPP addresses other areas, from the police (investigation and detention) through the judiciary (drafting of legislation and prosecution in accordance with current laws) and ending with the prison service (application of the penalties imposed).
