The convictions recorded between 2020-26 over human trafficking in Cyprus are just the tip of the iceberg, according to Ombudswoman and Human Rights Commissioner Maria Stylianou Lottidi, who said in a message on European Day of Combatting Human Trafficking that the phenomenon is much wider and deeper than the 29 cases that were brought to justice, as police numbers indicate.
UN statistics point out that almost four out of ten victims were children in 2022, with the Ombudswoman highlighting that ‘human trafficking takes away child freedom, but also life itself’.
Lottidi added that in its latest Cyprus evaluation, the Council of Europe’s Human Trafficking group of experts noted the need for the timely locating of victims, pointing to delays in the recognition process, which might leave them without critical assistance and protection.
She further stressed that human trafficking is one of the most grave offences against individual dignity which more often that not remains in the dark, behind the closed doors of homes, in the workplace, as well as new forms of exploitation that are facilitated by the criminal invisibility of technology.
‘Each case is not just a number, but a human life, including children’, Lottidi noted, indicating that October 18th is a reminder that even today, thousands of people are robbed of their dignity and autonomy through conditions of exploitation, force and violence.
She pointed to the need for the timely location of victims and protecting them at all levels, irrespective of their official recognition or whether they are willing to cooperate with authorities.
‘Many victims never report their abusers, due to fear of revenge, backlash as well as financial and psychological dependence’.
Lottidi also said that all competent services must coordinate in this effort, adding that lapses in communication, administrative delays and lack of continuity in supporting victims are impeding their effective protection.
She has put forward issues concerned with the vulnerability of immigrant women, supporting victims of sexual exploitation and people who fall into the web of administrative delays preventing them from reporting their trauma.
Cyprus News Agency
