Human Trafficking

By means of the order of 11 August 2016 No 785 “On Coordination of Fight Against Human Trafficking”, the Government of the Republic of Lithuania has created an inter-institutional Coordination Commission for Fight Against Human Trafficking, the objective of which is to coordinate the measures and actions of the State and municipal institutions and authorities in the field of fight against human trafficking. In this commission, the State Child Rights Protection and Adoption Service under the Ministry of Social Security and Labour is represented by the Deputy Director Alina Jakavonienė. 

Human trafficking: purchase, sale, other acquisition or transfer, recruitment, transportation or deprivation of liberty of a person, when these alternative offences are committed by using at least one of the alternative methods used against the will of the victim, i.e. physical violence, threats, other deprivation of ability to resist, use of dependence or vulnerability of a victim, by fraud, by accepting or by paying money, by receiving or by providing other benefit to a person, who has actual control of the victim, and if the perpetrator knew or intended that the victim, irrespective of whether they agreed or not, would be used under the conditions of slavery or similar to slavery, for prostitution, pornography or other forms of sexual exploitation, forced labour or services, including begging, criminal offences, illegal adoption or with the intention to take the victim’s organ, tissue or cell or for other purposes of exploitation. 

Methods of exploitation
•    Direct sexual exploitation or distribution of images of child sexual exploitation / pornography in virtual or real environment. In this case, girls become victims more often, however, boys may be victims too. 
•    Exploitation under the conditions of slavery or similar to slavery, when children are forced to perform housework, take care of small children, etc. 
•    Forced work or services when children are ordered to clean, work at restaurants, construction sites or plants, where legal or illegal goods are produced, etc. Children may also be forced to beg for money. 
•    Forced criminal activity, when children are forced to commit small thefts, distribute or sell drugs, commit fraud. 
•    Sale, donation of a child’s internal organs. 
•    Adoption, when people purchase a son or a daughter. 
•    Forced marriage.
•    Child trafficking may differ in each individual case. For example, a child trafficked for sexual exploitation purposes, later on may be employed for forced labour at a plan. Vice versa is also possible. 
•    Persuasion, transportation, hiding or acceptance of a child for the purposes of exploitation shall also be considered as human trafficking, when no sexual exploitation, forced labour or services, slavery or similar activities and removal of organs took place. 
•    It is important to know that your neighbour, classmate, child from your grandparents’ village or even you may become a target of human traffickers. 

Possible signs of a victim of child trafficking
•    Absenteeism at school, poor learning outcomes. 
•    Running away from home (especially when afterwards the child is unable to explain where they have been). 
•    Mental and (or) physical health problems (developmental, eating disorders, traumas, etc.).
•    Sexual intercourse at a young age, unplanned pregnancy at a young age, sexually transmitted diseases. 
•    Dependence on psychoactive substances. 
•    Frequenting of places intended for adult people (nightclubs, bars, etc.). 
•    Travelling with an adult, who is not a close family member of the child’s legal representatives. 
•    Travel to a foreign State or planning of a travel without being able to indicate the purpose of travel, without knowing the language of that country. 
•    Communication (live or by telecommunication means) with a significantly older friend. 
•   Belonging to a group of street children (especially when the activity of the group is controlled by a significantly older person). 
•    Remuneration or gifts for certain activities received from significantly older people, who do not have a close relationship with them. Expensive things or property (clothes, telephone, money, etc.) (especially if the child is unable to tell how and where they have acquired them), as well as possession of things belonging to other people. 
•    Criminal past, relationships with people keen to commit crimes, involvement of a child in criminal offences (despite the fact that the child denies that they were incited to commit a criminal offence by other people, does not disclose their identities). Debts (especially if the child indicates that they have a debt to a person (recruiter), who has incited them to perform certain actions (to beg for money, to commit criminal offences, etc.). 
•    Self-harm, attempt to commit suicide. 
•    Social isolation (child has no friends, avoids any communication or even an eye contact). 
•    Unnatural attempt to look like an adult, dressing up in clothing that is inappropriate for their age. 
•    Other signs that may allow suspecting human trafficking.

Where to go?

More information you will find here.