What Is Happening with the Human Trafficking Victims from Arges county, Romania?

Still from the video released by the Romanian Police from the 13.07.2016 operation
Still from the video released by the Romanian Police from the 13.07.2016 operation
Still from the video released by the Romanian Police from the 13.07.2016 operation

Following the DIOCT operation on July 13th, 2016 concerning the dismantle of multiple organized crime groups charged with human trafficking and child trafficking, CLR is calling upon the involved authorities – Romanian Police, Directorate for Investigating Organized Crime and Terrorism (DIOCT Directia de Investigare a Infractiunilor de Criminalitate Organizata s Terorism ), General Directorate of Social Assistance and Child Protection (GDSACP ­– Directia Generala de Asistenta Sociala si Protectia Copilului), National Agency Against Human Trafficking (NAAHT Agentia Nationala Impotriva Traficului de Persoane) – to take the necessary measures of victim protection, both minors and adults, currently in a position of extreme vulnerability.

Although the operation to dismantle organized crime groups is commendable, the Romanian State has yet to establish the necessary mechanism for the protection of human trafficking and child trafficking victims. This poses the following questions:

  • Are there services and shelters for the victims of human and child trafficking?
    Based on our information, there are not. We are waiting for a response from NAAHT.
  • Are there in Arges county or in any other Romanian county psychologists specialized in counseling victims of human and child trafficking, especially people with disabilities?
  • Considering that multiple victims have already been questioned, how exactly were these vulnerable persons prepared to face questioning?
  • Within DIOCT, DIOCT Arges and Arges county Police Inspectorate, are there people specialized in questioning victims of human trafficking, particularly minors and people with disabilities?
  • How are the Romanian Police and DIOCT protecting the identity of the victims?
  • How are the law courts, including the High Court of Cassation and Justice, protecting the identity of the victims since their names are exposed on the ECRIS portal?
  • Is it real that DIOCT has been investigating this case for 4 years real, in which time they knew of the abduction, sequester, and abuse of multiple vulnerable persons? And if it is so, why did they not intervene earlier in order to release the victims?

We are posing all these questions in order to draw attention on the fact that beyond the dismantle of a dangerous network; the institutions of the Romanian State lose sight of the necessary protection of the victims of human trafficking.

In addition to this, CLR has requested DIOCT Arges, GDSACP Arges, and NAAHT to release information concerning the protection measures they are taking for the victims of human and child trafficking.

 

For further information, please contact Vadim Chiriac, attorney at law:
Phone: (+40) 744 634 490
Email: vadim.chiriac@crj.ro