Council of Europe concerned over majority of trafficking cases ending in acquittals

A Council of Europe report has flagged that the majority of human trafficking victims are represented by NGO lawyers

File photo
File photo

The Council of Europe’s expert group on human trafficking (GRETA) has warned that the majority of human trafficking cases in Malta end in acquittals.

The report urged the Maltese authorities to ensure that human trafficking cases lead to effective, proportionate, and dissuasive sanctions. 

While the group commended efforts made to prevent and combat trafficking for the purpose of labour exploitation, GRETA said that the Maltese authorities should encourage law-enforcement officers, labour inspectors and other relevant actors to increase their outreach work to identify victims of trafficking.

The group has also urged Malta to guarantee adequate access to compensation for victims of trafficking and ensure that human trafficking cases are investigated proactively and lead to effective “dissuasive sanctions.”

Since its last report, the group said that Maltese legislation had been amended to increase the penalty for human trafficking.

GRETA said a new National Action Plan on Combatting Trafficking in Human Beings, covering 2020-2023, was also adopted.

However, the group noted that all victims of trafficking in Malta have so far been represented by NGO lawyers.

GRETA said that Maltese authorities should heighten their efforts to ensure that victims of trafficking receive legal assistance and free legal aid at an early stage.