The National Council of Women (NCW) strongly supports and looks forward to the proposed steps to be taken by the Office of the Attorney General and the Malta Police Force to review and recommend reforms on current procedures concerning the identification of victims of human trafficking, before the initiation of prosecution proceedings. However, NCW calls for stronger measures to address these issues in a more comprehensive manner

For many years, the Council has been advocating that human trafficking be seriously addressed and looks forward to these reforms, as there is no doubt that the trafficking of young women for sexual exploitation is fast increasing in Malta. Reports in local newspapers of young women from Russia and East European countries working in the ‘entertainment’ sector seem to be simply watering down the real situation.

In Malta, although the authorities attach a lot of importance to drug trafficking, they tend to treat trafficking of women differently. Although Catholic Malta condemns prostitution on moral grounds, our society is not really aware of the circumstances that drive East European women to prostitution. These women who come to Malta to earn money are often enticed by the myth that there is a better life to be had in Western Europe. Coming from a life of poverty and no opportunities of employment, they are offered the choice of using their physical appearance to make money fast.

The disillusion sets in when it is too late, when they start working and find that they get a very small share of the earnings negotiated in the transactions. They often end up as ‘slaves’, losing their freedom and sometimes not even allowed to leave the place of accommodation provided for them. Visa permits, which expire after six months, are taken from them and this makes it easier to get rid of them without leaving any traces.

Some questions need to be asked. Is there enough evidence to charge individuals with human trafficking? If not, is it because of lack of adequate laws or lack of evidence? What legal protection is offered to these young women? There is the need for a change in attitude of the Police Force coupled with better investigations of the ‘entertainment’ industry and the links with trafficking and sexual exploitation

The United Nations Palermo Protocol, which Malta has signed and ratified, clearly states: “Trafficking in persons means the recruitment, transfer, harbouring of receipt of persons by means of threat, use of force, or other forms of coercion, fraud, deception, abuse of power or of vulnerability or of giving or receiving payments of benefits to achieve the consent of a person having control over another person for the purpose of exploitation.” Moreover it stresses that “the consent of a victim of trafficking in persons to the intended exploitation is irrelevant”.

NCW joins its counterparts in Europe, members of the European Network against trafficking in Women for Sexual Exploitation (ENATW) from Hungary, France, Greece, Lithuania, Poland, Sweden and Italy. The Council strongly urges government to ensure that measures regarding legal protection as well as all forms of protection through social support structures are in place. It urges government to include in Maltese legislation the buying of sexual favours a crime against human rights. The Council believes that strengthening law enforcement measures and administering heavy penalties for all those involved in the chain of organised crime, including individuals who are financing these activities and are the key to the elimination of this form of ‘white slavery’.

NCW urges the government to ensure that civil society organizations, that is representatives of NGOs that have been working in this field are also appointed to the task force, as their experience can result in more effective procedures

Grace Attard

NCW President

National Council of Women