Trafficking in human beings has taken on great proportions worldwide over the last twenty years. "Traditional" slave trade and slavery have evolved into a "modern" business, especially under the forms of compulsory labour and sexual exploitation. It is estimated that trafficking in human beings constitutes the third largest "criminal business" after illicit trafficking of narcotics and arms.
Social exclusion, ignorance of the language or economic destitution, among other social factors, make women, minors and foreigners vulnerable to, and potential victims of, this abhorrent crime; a crime that has a severe impact on personal and physical dignity and integrity.
In order to confront these heinous criminal activities more effectively and ensure sufficient and comprehensive assistance to the victims, last year the Greek Government submitted and passed, through Parliament, Law 3064/2002 (Official Gazette, issue A 248/2002) on "Combating trafficking in human beings, crimes against sexual freedom, child pornography and more generally on economic exploitation of sexual life and assistance to the victims thereof".
The new Law provides for a more severe penalization of all contemporary forms of trafficking in human beings - such as the sale of human organs, compulsory and deceitful exploitation of labour, economic exploitation of sexual life, recruitment of minors for the purpose of using them in armed conflicts - whereas special emphasis is given to the protection of minors and other vulnerable social groups (women, foreigners). In addition to the above, the Law contains a special provision explicitly designed to confront the problem of child pornography, which has taken on disquieting dimensions through the expansion of Internet.
Moreover, the same Law establishes - for the first time in Greece - the necessary legal framework for providing protection and assistance to the victims of the aforementioned criminal deeds: by virtue of the said Law, a Presidential Decree (P.D.) was signed on August 26, 2003, and published in the official gazette (P.D. 233/2003, official gazette issue A 204/2003) on the Protection and assistance to the victims of crimes provided for in articles 323A, 349, 351 and 351A of the Penal Code, in conformity with article 12 of Law 3064/2002.
According to the provisions of the P.D. :
- As victims of the crimes provided for in articles 323, 323A, 349, 351 and 351A of the Penal Code are defined those persons, Greek citizens or foreigners, that have suffered directly a prejudice on their physical integrity or their personal or sexual freedom or when these or their life are in serious jeopardy.
- For the purposes of the P.D. all State Agencies, as well as those of the wider public sector and of local self-government bodies that can provide protection and assistance, are considered to be "Agencies or Units for the Provision of Protection and Assistance".
- If the victims have had recourse to the Agencies or Units for the Provision of Protection and Assistance, they are given protection and assistance regardless of whether prosecution has already started against the unlawful deeds provided for in the above mentioned articles.
- Protection is provided as long as there is still a risk against life, physical integrity, personal and sexual freedom, whereas the provision of assistance lasts for as long as it is deemed indispensable by the Agencies and Units for the Provision of Protection and Assistance.
- For the purpose of providing protection and assistance, the Agencies or Units in question are entitled to conclude the appropriate contracts with non-profit bodies corporate, either of public or private law, as well with non-governmental organizations active in this field.
- The security of the victims as well as the security of the places where they live is ensured by the appropriate measures. In parallel, the assistance of the Greek Police is provided for.
- Victims who are under 18 years of age have access to those public schools that host special reception classes or sections or are implementing cross-cultural education programs; the victims who are up to 23 years of age are entitled to be admitted to the training programs implemented by the "Agency for the Employment of the Workforce" (O.A.E.D. in its Greek acronym), even when the total number of admissions foreseen for those programs has been covered.
- Immediate and free medical care by the services of the National Health System is provided to those victims who are not covered by any insurance.
- The Agencies and Units for the Provision of Protection and Assistance take care to secure legal assistance for the victims; they also see to it that interpretation service is provided when the victims do not speak Greek.
- A standing committee is provided for, to be presided over by the Secretary General for Welfare and composed of representatives of the appropriate Ministries; its mission is to coordinate all activities related to protection and assistance for the victims, to issue circular notes on all relevant questions that may arise, to gather statistical data and to suggest measures aimed at improving the provision of protection and assistance to the victims.
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