13-12-2023 17:04
37 prosecutors from district and county level, investigators, officers of the GENEREL DIRECTORATE FOR COMBATING ORGANISED CRIME and General Directorate Border Police took part in the training organized by the National Institute of Justice: "Preventing and Countering Trafficking in Women for Exploitation. Inter-institutional cooperation and exchange of good practices".
The event took place on 11 and 12 December 2023 in Sofia, under the guidance of a multidisciplinary team of specialists with established expertise in the field. It was aimed at improving the professional qualification of law enforcement and law enforcement agencies in relation to the recognition and counteraction of the crime of trafficking in human beings in all its forms, where women are victims of the crime, protection and support of victims of trafficking and improvement of inter-institutional cooperation and interaction.
Ernesta Ruseva-Hristova, Chief Expert at the National Commission for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings, introduced the participants to the priorities of the state policy in this area, as well as to the functioning of the national mechanism for referral and support of victims.
Borislav Pargov, Inspector at the Cross-border Organized Crime Unit of the General Directorate for Combating Organized Crime, discussed the concept of human trafficking and its different forms, where the victims are women, the situation in the country and the main trends in the investigation and detection of this crime. He stressed the important role of prevention in effectively countering this form of organised crime.
Prosecutor Gergana Kyurkchyyska from the Sofia City Prosecutor's Office made a legal characterization of the crime of human trafficking in the light of the relevant national and international legal framework. She paid special attention to the new exploitative targets in the context of sexual violence, and presented the methodological aspects of the investigation of the crime and the specificities of working with victims of trafficking.
Antoaneta Vassileva, first vice-president of GRETA, discussed international standards and the impact of the internet on crime, and Anna Nikolova, manager of the SOS Families at Risk Foundation and of the shelters for temporary accommodation and centers for protection and assistance in Sofia and Varna, focused on the protection, support and socialization of women victims of trafficking.
The training provided an opportunity for a lively discussion and exchange of experiences in the field of investigation and prosecution of trafficking in women and effective protection of victims in criminal proceedings.