Remember, you can access key information about Trafficking In Persons and child sexual exploitation in Brazil and how to report these heinous crimes by installing the following smart phone applications from Google Play in English (Soccer Not Slaves), Spanish (Futbol por la Libertad) and Portuguese (Futebol Pela Liberdade).
This week we continue our look at the new trends in human trafficking in Brazil – the host nation of the 2014 FIFA World Cup and 2016 Olympic Summer Games.
Research conducted by the Brazilian Ministry of Justice’s National Secretariat of Justice reveals that after sex trafficking and labor trafficking there have been seen new forms of exploitation, such as the use of people to engage in begging, indigenous exploitation and even victims who were used as drug mules.
In cases involving begging, children and adolescents are taken far from their homes and forced to ask for money or sell products on the streets. At the end of the day, they have to turn over part or all of the money to their exploiters.
In cases involving indigenous exploitation, indigenous Brazilians are recruited for a variety of purposes, from sexual exploitation to drug trafficking. Given that many of them live in isolated villages and don’t possess official identification, authorities are unaware of these crimes.
The research also identified the exploitation of children and young people for domestic slavery under the pretext of adoption, as well as for exploitation at soccer clubs. In the latter, male adolescents are taken far from their homes to play soccer, with the promise of high wages, according to SNJ. Once they arrive, their documents are confiscated and they begin to be exploited, without the promised wages.
In the 11 Brazilian states that share borders with other countries, analysis was carried out on official figures, such as those from the social assistance network, law enforcement agencies and the courts, as well as sources outside government, such as NGOs that work to fight human trafficking.
Pará, Amapá, Roraima, Mato Grosso and Mato Grosso do Sul are the states with the highest incidence of human trafficking for sexual exploitation. Slave labor is common in the states of Rio Grande do Sul, Paraná, Pará, Amazonas, Mato Grosso and Mato Grosso do Sul.
According to the research, the profile of individuals vulnerable to trafficking includes children, adolescents and adults due to socioeconomic conditions or family conflicts. The modus operandi of the traffickers remains the same despite the various new trends – victims are lured and convinced that they can have a better life. When they arrive, they discover they have acquired debts for transportation, food and accommodations, which are paid through violence and exploitation. They also receive threats of reprisals if they try to escape or file a complaint.
The 2014 Trafficking In Persons Report on Brazil has examined some of the challenges faced by the nation in countering this scourge. While the narrative recognizes that the nation has been trying to combat human trafficking, it suggests that legislative changes may help to secure greater success.
“Most cases took many years to move from investigations to final convictions in the slow-moving judicial system, and some sex and labor traffickers whose initial convictions were upheld in 2013 served sentences by paying fines, completing community service, or living under house arrest.
In the absence of a unified anti-trafficking law, Articles 231 and 231-A of the penal code prohibit sex trafficking involving movement, with violence, threats, or fraud as aggravating elements, as opposed to necessary elements of the offense. Articles 231 and 231-A are inconsistent with international standards because they require movement as a necessary element of human trafficking.”
As in many other nations, corruption and collusion of traffickers with law enforcement and judicial officials hampers the ability to bring perpetrators to justice. “In May 2013 and January 2014, members of the National Council of Justice visited Amazonas state and found that judges repeatedly and purposefully delayed the investigation of the mayor of the one of the largest cities in the state for operating a child sex trafficking ring in a case that dated back to 2009. The mayor and five members of his cabinet were arrested in February 2014.”
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