Albania Sex
V. Country Narratives - Tier 3
The Government of Belarus does not meet the minimum standards due to a lack of resources and corruption. The new Criminal Code, which went into effect January 1, 2001, penalizes trafficking in persons for the purpose of sexual or other kinds of exploitation, as well as the hiring of persons for sexual or other exploitation. The penalty for trafficking is substantially less than that for rape or forcible sexual assault. At the time of this report, there was one open criminal case, and 12 cases had been proven. In theory the Government has programs to assist victims of trafficking and provide witnesses; however, in practice this does not occur. Victims are detained and/or jailed until the investigation identifies them as victims, and can be prosecuted for violations of other laws. The Ministry of Internal Affairs conducted one seminar on trafficking in October 1999 and another in April 2000. ... [Read More]
IV. Country Narratives: Europe and Eurasia
The Belarusian criminal code provides specific penalties for trafficking for the purposes of sexual or other kinds of exploitation, though many prosecutors pursue trafficking crimes under sexual assault, abduction, or recruitment for sexual exploitation statutes. The government convicted 45 individuals for trafficking or trafficking-related abuses, with a majority of sentences ranging from two to five years. The Interior Ministry reported 191 investigations of alleged trafficking, including the trafficking of women abroad for sexual exploitation, the recruitment of women for the purpose of sexual exploitation abroad, and the abduction and recruitment of minors for prostitution. In April 2003, the Interior Ministry dismantled a criminal organization that had trafficked over 400 Belarusian women to Western Europe and the Middle East since 1997. In addition, it broke up 17 organized criminal groups connected to trafficking crimes. In an effort to improve police anti-trafficking op ... [Read More]
"Responses to Human Trafficking: Books and Documents" Global Issues, June 2003
THE SEX SLAVE TRADE: BIOLOGICAL IMPERATIVES, CULTURAL TRENDS, AND THE COMING EMPOWERMENT OF WOMEN ... http://action.web.ca/home/catw/attach/sex_traff_us.pdf ... CROSS-NATIONAL VARIATION IN SEX TRAFFICKING LEGAL ACTIVITY: PROHIBITIVE LEGISLATION, REGULATIONS, AND BUREAUCRATIC ACTIONS ... [Read More]
"Libros, documentos y artículos sobre temas referidos a la trata de personas (en inglés)" Cuestiones Mundiales, Junio 2003
THE SEX SLAVE TRADE: BIOLOGICAL IMPERATIVES, CULTURAL TRENDS, AND THE COMING EMPOWERMENT OF WOMEN ... http://action.web.ca/home/catw/attach/sex_traff_us.pdf ... CROSS-NATIONAL VARIATION IN SEX TRAFFICKING LEGAL ACTIVITY: PROHIBITIVE LEGISLATION, REGULATIONS, AND BUREAUCRATIC ACTIONS ... [Read More]
Country Report on Human Rights Practices in Albania
In 2003, the AHRG claimed that police targeted the country's homosexual community. According to the General Secretary of Gay Albania, the police often arbitrarily arrested homosexuals and then physically and verbally abused them while they were in detention. However, the police denied these charges and stated that when homosexuals were arrested, it was for violating the law--such as disturbing the peace--not for their sexual preference. ... There was no legislation specifically addressing violence against women or domestic violence; however, violence against women and spousal abuse remained serious problems. In the country's traditionally male-dominated society, cultural acceptance and lax police response resulted in most abuse going unreported. Rape is punishable by law, as is spousal rape; however, in practice, spousal rape was not reported or prosecuted. The concepts of spousal rape and sexual harassment were not well established, and, consequently, such acts often were not considered crimes by authorities or the public. For this reason, it was difficult to quantify the number of women who have experienced rape, domestic violence, or sexual harassment; however, the Counseling Center for Women and Girls noted that, in 2002, its Tirana hotline received 80 to 100 calls per month from women reporting some form of violence. A 1999 poll conducted by the NGO Advice Center for Women and Girls showed that 64 percent of women su ... [Read More]
Albania
Violence against women and spousal abuse remained serious problems. In the country's traditionally male-dominated society, cultural acceptance and lax police response resulted in most abuse going unreported. Rape is punishable by law, as is spousal rape; however, in practice, spousal rape is not reported or prosecuted. The concepts of spousal rape and sexual harassment are not well established, and, consequently, such acts often are not considered crimes by the authorities or the public. In 1999 the Advice Center for Women and Girls, an NGO, conducted a poll which showed that 64 percent of women surveyed had experienced some form of physical, emotional, or sexual abuse. Later statistics were not available. The State Committee on Women and Children is the primary government agency that addresses the status of women; however, it is underfunded and lacks political influence. ... [Read More]
Albania
The Constitution provides for freedom of religion and the Government generally respected this right in practice. According to the Constitution, there is no official religion, and all religions are equal; however, the predominant religious communities (Sunni, Bektashi, Orthodox, and Roman Catholic) enjoy de facto recognition that gives them the legal right to hold bank accounts, own property and buildings, and to function as legal entities based on their historical presence in the country. Religious movements--with the exception of the four de facto recognized religions--may acquire the official status of a legal entity by registering under the Law on Associations, which recognizes the status of a nonprofit association irrespective of whether the organization has a cultural, recreational, religious, or humanitarian character. While the Government does not require registration or licensing of religious groups, the State Committee on Cult ... [Read More]
Albania
Various groups worked to promote women's rights; some of these groups received mixed levels of cooperation with the Government (see Section 5). The People's Advocate investigated inappropriate, inadequate, or illegal actions on the part of the Government. Although it lacked the power to enforce decisions, the People's Advocate acted as a watchdog for human rights violations. Its most common cases included citizen complaints of police and military abuse of power, lack of enforcement of court judgments in civil cases, wrongful dismissal, and land disputes (see Sections 1.c. and 1.e.). In many cases, the Government took concrete steps to correct problems in response to the findings of the People's Advocate. The caseload of the People's Advocate continued to increase as the public became more aware of the services provided. The People's Advocate enjoyed the political support of the highest-ranking members of the Government and was aut ... [Read More]
V. Country Narratives -- Countries A through G
Chile is a source, transit, and destination country for men, women, and children trafficked for the purposes of sexual exploitation and forced labor. Most victims are Chilean minors trafficked internally for sexual exploitation. According to a 2003 study conducted by the Chilean National Department of Children’s Affairs (SENAME), at least 3,700 children were victims of commercial sexual exploitation. Traffickers are known to contact victims and their families directly or through advertisements offering jobs as domestic help, models, or product promoters. Chileans have been trafficked to Argentina, Peru, Bolivia, the United States, Europe, and Asia for sexual exploitation. Foreign victims are brought to Chile for sexual exploitation or involuntary domestic servitude from Peru, Argentina, Colombia, and Bolivia, though authorities find it difficult to distinguish trafficking victims from economic migrants. [Read More]
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