Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Rome (Agenzia Fides) - “I have worked as director of the General Prosecutor's office in fighting human trafficking, child prostitution, which involve small groups of 2-3 people, sometimes even relatives. In 2001, the Internal Affairs Ministry created a special office for this problem of trafficking, collaborating with non-government organizations.” Eugen Rusu, Chief Prosecutor in Moldavia, highlights that even this nation of Eastern Europe has become aware of the seriousness of the situation and is working to respond. The problem is the Transistria, the black hole of Europe, that borders Moldavia. “Every year, there are up to 400 cases of human trafficking,” Rusu said. “Children are 8% of the total. At first, there were so-called 'tourist agencies' or private agencies that took care of this trafficking. Now it is different. The application of the Palermo Convention, on behalf of the member countries, is taking too long. We are behind in the crime world. Our countrymen would not leave their children alone and unprotected if they had work. The criminals have not become more intelligent, but more clever, more underhanded. Intelligence does not enter the discussion when we are talking about criminals. In Moldavia, we have criminals arrested for trafficking, however is not the case for traffickers of our citizens in Italy, Israel, and Turkey. This is the weak point. A person left unpunished is crime that should be condemned on an international level. I have had many cases of mothers who have left their two, three, or five children for 5-7 years. Can we blame a person for working under the table as a care-giver? Or the young women used for sexual exploitation? They are all victims. They are all people with no other choice.” (Anticipation for the television program “The Suitcase Tied with a String”: 4 episodes of a study on world immigration to be aired on the RAI beginning June 29) (Agenzia Fides 8/6/2009)
