Where would sex trafficking be without a john? Out of business

KATHY TZILIVAKIS

Human trafficking is the third largest criminal industry in Greece (and worldwide), right behind drugs and gun smuggling DEMAND is the current buzzword among government officials whose job it is to crack down on organised sex-trafficking rings, according to Deputy Interior Minister Panayotis Hinofotis.

"One of the biggest problems is the clients' behaviour," Hinofotis told a parliamentary committee discussing measures aimed at protecting the victims and punishing traffickers on January 15. "They must be sensitised and informed... I am certain many who come into contact with [sex-trafficking victims] do not know they are also culpable under the law."

Human trafficking is the third largest criminal industry in Greece (and worldwide), right behind drugs and gun smuggling. Demand in Greece and poverty abroad (mainly eastern European countries) is fuelling the industry.

Research into the sex trade in Greece suggests that one million men - about 30 percent of the nation's sexually-active population - call on sex workers. Going after the criminals who exploit women and girls has proven less than successful, as the trade has continued to grow. And cracking down on the so-called users is not an easy job for police because prostitution, though highly regulated, is legal in state-licensed brothels in Greece. Clients tend to argue that they did not know they had hired the services of a trafficking victim.

Tens of thousands of immigrant women and girls as young as 12 are trafficked to Greece and sold into forced prostitution each year, according to Athens University criminology professor Grigoris Lazos, a leading expert on trafficking in Greece. Many of the women are lured to Greece under false pretences. They are promised a better life, a well-paying job as a waitress or a maid, but are deceived. Once in the country, they are beaten, raped and traded like a commodity.

According to official data presented by Hinofotis, some 1,100 human traffickers (Greeks and foreigners) were arrested in Greece between January 2003 and 2007. He also said a total of 505 sex-trafficking victims have received protection by the state or by a non-governmental organisation.

MPs want better protection for victims

Under Greek law, the victims of sex trafficking are subject to deportation if they do not testify against the traffickers. Human rights organisations, like the global watchdog Amnesty International, have repeatedly criticised this legislation.

All seven MPs (all women) who attended the January 15 meeting urged Hinofotis to amend legislation so that victims may be entitled to protection regardless of whether or not they cooperate with the authorities. Under Greek law, victims have 30 days to decide what they will do.

"Very few victims have actually received protection, and the number of traffickers convicted is very small," said Pasok MP Thalia Dragona. "What is the problem? It's that victims are deported and that there is a lack of police enforcement... By offering protection in exchange for their cooperation puts victims under a lot of pressure. It is very important to disassociate protection from whether or not they agree to testify."

MPs from the ruling New Democracy party agreed sex-trafficking victims should be eligible for a short-stay permit.

"For this to be done, we would need to lay down a set of criteria so that there is some control," Hinofotis told the parliamentary committee.

He did not say whether he would discuss this with Interior Minister Prokopis Pavlopoulos.

ATHENS NEWS , 18/01/2008, page: A15
Article code: C13270A152