Human trafficking in Lithuania
Encyclopedia
Lithuania
is a source, transit, and destination country for women and children trafficked for the purpose of commercial sexual exploitation
. Approximately 21 percent of Lithuanian trafficking victims are underage girls. Lithuanian women were trafficked within the country and to the United Kingdom
, Germany
, Spain
, Italy
, Denmark
, Norway
, and the Netherlands
. Women from Belarus
, Russia
(the Kaliningrad
region), and Ukraine
are trafficked to and through Lithuania for the purpose of sexual exploitation.
The Government of Lithuania fully complies with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking. During the last year, Lithuania sustained generous anti-trafficking funding by allocating more than $144,000 to Non-governmental organization
s (NGOs) to help improve victim assistance and prevention efforts. The government also ensured that all convicted traffickers received prison sentences, a notable improvement from the previous reporting period.
. In 2007, authorities initiated nine trafficking investigations, down from 26 investigations is 2006. Authorities prosecuted eight defendants during the reporting period, a significant decrease from 23 defendants prosecuted in 2006. Lithuanian courts convicted four trafficking offenders in 2007, a significant decrease from 10 convictions in 2006; however, all convicted traffickers received prison sentences —an improvement over 2006, when 20 percent of convicted traffickers served no time in prison. Sentences ranged from five to eight years’ imprisonment. Officials also acknowledge that many law enforcement officers lack experience in investigating trafficking cases and managing pre-trial investigations. Although Lithuania has bilateral cooperation agreements on combating trafficking with more than 20 countries, some NGOs claimed that officials lack the capacity to effectively obtain evidence from foreign law enforcement institutions; however, Lithuanian authorities’ cooperation with police in the United Kingdom led to the successful convictions of Lithuanian traffickers. In May 2007, each of Lithuania’s 10 counties appointed one police officer to coordinate anti-trafficking activities.
developed a method for victim identification and a national victim referral mechanism; it was formally adopted by police in December 2007. The government encouraged victims to assist in trafficking investigations and prosecutions, though many trafficking victims are reluctant to initiate cases. In 2007, the government allocated $100,000 to improve witness protection
services, including for victims of trafficking. Victims who participated in court proceedings were eligible for temporary residency permits. Identified victims were not penalized for unlawful acts committed as a direct result of their being trafficked.
and TV as well as posters at bus
and train
stations. The posters had the slogans: “It is a shame to buy women” and “Would you buy me?” These posters were displayed in approximately 2000 locations in 13 towns throughout the country. The government spent an additional $30,000 for an anti-trafficking awareness campaign for youth in six cities during 2007.
Lithuania
Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
is a source, transit, and destination country for women and children trafficked for the purpose of commercial sexual exploitation
Sexual slavery
Sexual slavery is when unwilling people are coerced into slavery for sexual exploitation. The incidence of sexual slavery by country has been studied and tabulated by UNESCO, with the cooperation of various international agencies...
. Approximately 21 percent of Lithuanian trafficking victims are underage girls. Lithuanian women were trafficked within the country and to the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
, and the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
. Women from Belarus
Belarus
Belarus , officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordered clockwise by Russia to the northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Its capital is Minsk; other major cities include Brest, Grodno , Gomel ,...
, Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
(the Kaliningrad
Kaliningrad
Kaliningrad is a seaport and the administrative center of Kaliningrad Oblast, the Russian exclave between Poland and Lithuania on the Baltic Sea...
region), and Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
are trafficked to and through Lithuania for the purpose of sexual exploitation.
The Government of Lithuania fully complies with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking. During the last year, Lithuania sustained generous anti-trafficking funding by allocating more than $144,000 to Non-governmental organization
Non-governmental organization
A non-governmental organization is a legally constituted organization created by natural or legal persons that operates independently from any government. The term originated from the United Nations , and is normally used to refer to organizations that do not form part of the government and are...
s (NGOs) to help improve victim assistance and prevention efforts. The government also ensured that all convicted traffickers received prison sentences, a notable improvement from the previous reporting period.
Prosecution
The Government of Lithuania demonstrated mixed law enforcement efforts during the reporting period; although the number of investigations, prosecutions, and convictions decreased, the government ensured that all convicted traffickers served some time in prison. Lithuania prohibits all forms of trafficking through Article 147 of its criminal code, which prescribes penalties ranging from probation to 15 years’ imprisonment. These penalties are sufficiently stringent and commensurate with penalties prescribed for other grave crimes, such as rapeRape
Rape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse, which is initiated by one or more persons against another person without that person's consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority or with a person who is incapable of valid consent. The...
. In 2007, authorities initiated nine trafficking investigations, down from 26 investigations is 2006. Authorities prosecuted eight defendants during the reporting period, a significant decrease from 23 defendants prosecuted in 2006. Lithuanian courts convicted four trafficking offenders in 2007, a significant decrease from 10 convictions in 2006; however, all convicted traffickers received prison sentences —an improvement over 2006, when 20 percent of convicted traffickers served no time in prison. Sentences ranged from five to eight years’ imprisonment. Officials also acknowledge that many law enforcement officers lack experience in investigating trafficking cases and managing pre-trial investigations. Although Lithuania has bilateral cooperation agreements on combating trafficking with more than 20 countries, some NGOs claimed that officials lack the capacity to effectively obtain evidence from foreign law enforcement institutions; however, Lithuanian authorities’ cooperation with police in the United Kingdom led to the successful convictions of Lithuanian traffickers. In May 2007, each of Lithuania’s 10 counties appointed one police officer to coordinate anti-trafficking activities.
Protection
The Lithuanian government continued to improve efforts to protect and assist victims of trafficking. NGOs identified 56 trafficking victims in 2007, compared with 110 in 2006. In 2007, the government provided approximately $144,000 to 13 anti-trafficking NGOs to conduct victim assistance and rehabilitation, including vocational training and job placement for victims. With funding from the government, IOMIOM
IOM may refer to:* Institute of Medicine, a not-for-profit, non-governmental American organization founded in 1970* Institute of Occupational Medicine in the UK* International Organization for Migration, an intergovernmental organization...
developed a method for victim identification and a national victim referral mechanism; it was formally adopted by police in December 2007. The government encouraged victims to assist in trafficking investigations and prosecutions, though many trafficking victims are reluctant to initiate cases. In 2007, the government allocated $100,000 to improve witness protection
Witness protection
Witness protection is protection of a threatened witness or any person involved in the justice system, including defendants and other clients, before, during and after a trial, usually by police...
services, including for victims of trafficking. Victims who participated in court proceedings were eligible for temporary residency permits. Identified victims were not penalized for unlawful acts committed as a direct result of their being trafficked.
Prevention
Lithuania showed significant progress in its trafficking prevention efforts. In March 2007, the government appointed a high ranking official at the Ministry of Interior to coordinate government-wide anti-trafficking activities. In 2007, the government held five anti-trafficking coordination meetings with NGOs, although NGOs reported there was uneven cooperation between NGOs and police, especially in rural areas. The government allocated approximately $15,000 to NGOs for anti-trafficking prevention, including a campaign to reduce the demand for commercial sexual exploitation. The campaign included broadcasting of audio and video spots on radioRadio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
and TV as well as posters at bus
Bus
A bus is a road vehicle designed to carry passengers. Buses can have a capacity as high as 300 passengers. The most common type of bus is the single-decker bus, with larger loads carried by double-decker buses and articulated buses, and smaller loads carried by midibuses and minibuses; coaches are...
and train
Train
A train is a connected series of vehicles for rail transport that move along a track to transport cargo or passengers from one place to another place. The track usually consists of two rails, but might also be a monorail or maglev guideway.Propulsion for the train is provided by a separate...
stations. The posters had the slogans: “It is a shame to buy women” and “Would you buy me?” These posters were displayed in approximately 2000 locations in 13 towns throughout the country. The government spent an additional $30,000 for an anti-trafficking awareness campaign for youth in six cities during 2007.