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In one of the largest anti-trafficking programmes in the world, a project, currently being implemented in four Indian states, aims to compensate witnesses of trafficking who testify in court
The Andhra Pradesh police are busy compiling a list of women and children who have been victims of trafficking, so that they can be compensated when they appear in court to testify. The move is part of a United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) anti-trafficking project, supported by the governments of the United States and India. One of the largest anti-trafficking programmes in the world, it is committed to addressing the problem of trafficking, especially that of women and children, which is cause for serious concern in India. The project is currently being implemented in the four states of Maharashtra, Goa, West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh through the Ministry of Home Affairs.
Andhra Pradesh has the highest number of cases of trafficking in women in the country. According to last year's records, 1,431 arrests were made in 458 cases, under the Immoral Trafficking Act, by the Andhra Pradesh police across the country. While the police are still compiling figures on those rescued, an official said that in the last three months they had carried out 300 'rescues' and a similar number of arrests. About a quarter of those saved were minors.
Most cases lodged against the guilty fall through because witnesses, usually the victims themselves, are reluctant to testify. They are unsure about what the police can actually do to help them, and want to go back to the brothel or pimp for reasons ranging from financial insecurity to fear of being ostracised at home. The victims are generally extremely poor and, when they have to appear in court, they lose not only their daily income but also have to incur expenses in travelling to and from the court. The court currently pays witnesses only Rs 8 for food.
Under the UNODC project, witnesses who come forward to testify will receive compensation. This will include transportation costs, a sum for child maintenance, and daily wages, according to P Umapathi, Inspector General of the Women's Protection Cell. The money for the new initiative will come from the UNODC, which will give each of the five worst-hit districts Rs 5 lakh for a year. The state will eventually take over the programme, says Umapathi. The compensation scheme is slated to be introduced in all 23 districts and will also cover men who appear as witnesses.
The annotated guide to the new UN trafficking protocol is a tool to assist advocates in the development of a human rights framework for national anti-trafficking laws and policies. It comprises a complete set of international obligations specifically addressing trafficking of human beings. It says that any approach that treats victims as criminals or immigrants without rights is also responsible for causing trafficked persons to disappear underground and, at its worst, may lead to their re-trafficking. It notes that a human rights-based response empowers trafficked persons to become witnesses. It offers them security and justice and enables former victims to regain control over their lives. Ending the cycle of impunity for traffickers and violence requires a broad spectrum of rights-protective legal, economic and social measures contained in the trafficking protocol and human rights standards.
Source: www.indianexpress.com, March 14, 2007
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