The Local Commission for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings - Sliven Adopted the "Programme for Prevention and Counteraction of Trafficking in Human Beings and Protection of Victims" for 2022.
On 22.02.2022 a regular meeting of the Local Commission for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings (LCCTHB), Sliven was held in the "May" Hall of the Municipality of Sliven, in compliance with all anti-epidemic measures, was held. The meeting was held in the regular session.
The meeting was opened by Ms. Pepa Chilikova - Deputy Mayor of Sliven Municipality and Chairperson of the LCCTHB - Sliven.
The meeting was attended by the members of the Local Commission, representatives of the following institutions: the District Prosecutor's Office - Sliven, the BOP Sector - Sliven, the Department of the Ministry of Interior - Sliven, the Child Protection Department at the DSP - Sliven and the Dr. Ivan Seliminski Primary School - Sliven.
During the regular meeting, the Annual Report of the LCCTHB - Sliven for 2021 was presented and adopted, in the framework of the implementation of the Local Programme for Prevention and Counteraction of Trafficking in Human Beings and Protection of Victims for the past year, in relation to the implementation of the state policy in the region and the interaction between the different institutions and organizations on the implementation of the Law on Combating Trafficking in Human Beings and the National Mechanism for Referral and Assistance to Victims of Trafficking (NTM).
The "Programme for Prevention and Counteraction of Trafficking in Human Beings and Protection of Victims for 2022" of the LCCTHB - Sliven was presented and adopted.
Key activities to be implemented in 2022 were discussed with a focus on upgrading local policies to combat trafficking in human beings. The planned information campaigns for the prevention of different forms of trafficking in human beings were presented, as well as the upcoming planned specialized trainings. Emphasis was placed on prevention work with specific at-risk groups, as well as on the active involvement of the radar in the prevention process in school settings, in order to counteract risky behaviour and online sexual coercion and extortion.
During the meeting the current trends in the crime of human trafficking in Sliven Region were also discussed based on summarized statistical information and professional practice of the members of the LCCTHB - Sliven, with the aim of developing and implementing further targeted policies to combat human trafficking.
*For the period 01.01.2021 - 31.12.2021 9 cases concerning the crime of "Trafficking in human beings" were pending at the District Prosecutor's Office - Sliven.
Two of the cases were initiated in 2021 and the remaining seven cases were initiated in previous years. One of the cases is being monitored by the territorial department of the Regional Prosecutor's Office – Sliven in Nova Zagora. The other two cases were prosecuted by the Regional Prosecutor's Office - Sliven.
There were 47 victims of trafficking in the above cases. Of these, 30 men and 8 women were victims of trafficking for labour exploitation. The remaining victims were women trafficked for sexual exploitation. There were 10 persons convicted of the offence.
The texts under which the above criminal proceedings were conducted are as follows:
under Art. 159d, Art. 159b, Paragraph 1, Art. 159a, Paragraph 1, Art. 1 of the Criminal Code - international trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation in the conditions of dangerous recidivism - 1 pc.
Article 159b, paragraph 1 of the Criminal Code - international trafficking for forced labour - 2 pcs.
Article 159a, paragraph 1 of the Criminal Code - domestic trafficking in human beings for sexual exploitation - 3 pcs.