2007 Trafficking in Persons Report - Center for Women Policy Studies

Prosecution
The Government of Italy demonstrated sustained,
strong law enforcement efforts to combat trafficking
throughout the reporting period. Italy prohibits
all forms of trafficking in persons through its 2003
Measures Against Trafficking in Persons law. The
prescribed penalty of 8 to 20 years’ imprisonment
for all forms of trafficking is sufficiently stringent
and commensurate with the nation’s maximum
12-year prison sentence for forcible sexual assault.
In 2006, the government raised the legal minimum
age for engaging in prostitution from 15 to 18
years old. In an effort to highlight its concern about
forced labor, in November 2006 the government
proposed legislation to introduce new penalties
for job recruiters who exploit workers. Between
October 2006 and January 2007, the government
conducted a large-scale anti-trafficking crackdown,
“Operation Spartacus,” which yielded the arrests
of 784 suspected traffickers and led to the opening
of investigations of 1,311 persons which are still
ongoing. Trafficking investigations in 2005 — the
last year for which complete data was available
— increased to 2,045 from 1,861 in 2004. One
hundred-two trafficking cases were prosecuted in
2005 resulting in the conviction of 125 traffickers
and the acquittal of 48 defendants.
Protection
The Italian government sustained strong efforts to
protect trafficking victims during reporting period.
The government spent 4.3 million euros ($5.82
million) on victim assistance in 2006, financing 77
NGO projects to provide legal services, health care,
and counseling to 7,300 women trafficking victims.
In 2006, government-funded NGOs also provided
literacy courses for 340 victims, vocational training
for 430 victims, and employment assistance to
1189 victims. The government funded the repatriation
and reintegration of 69 foreign victims and
issued temporary residence visas to 927 victims in
2006. Article 18 of the anti-trafficking law allows
authorities to grant residence permits and provide
protection and job training services to victims of
all forms of trafficking, including victims of forced
labor, but benefits to date have primarily been given
to sex trafficking victims. In 2007, the government
extended Article 18 benefits to victims from EU
countries. The government encourages victims to
assist in trafficking investigations or prosecutions
by offering temporary residency permits, though a
victim need not assist law enforcement efforts in
order to receive a temporary residency permit. In
addition, a victim who is a material witness in a
court case against a former employer may obtain
other employment. Despite the government’s efforts
to identify all victims of trafficking, some, such as
Nigerian women in commercial sexual exploitation,
are still deported. The government is investigating
allegations by an independent commission that its
victim identification measures for immigrants arriving
in boats from North Africa are not fully effective.
Victims who file complaints against traffickers
usually do not face prosecution.
Prevention
The Government of Italy demonstrated strong
efforts to educate the Italian public about trafficking
during the reporting period. NGOs continued
to raise awareness using government-funded
materials, including brochures, posters, and TV and
radio ads about trafficking. The Minister for Equal
Opportunities began implementing a new system at
national and regional levels to track national antitrafficking
efforts.
JAMAICA (Tier 2)
Jamaica is principally a source country for women
and children trafficked within the country for the
purposes of commercial sexual exploitation and
forced labor. The majority of victims are Jamaican
women and girls, and increasingly boys, who are
trafficked from rural to urban and tourist areas for
sexual exploitation. Some children are subjected to
conditions of forced labor as domestic servants.
The Government of Jamaica does not fully comply
with the minimum standards for the elimination
of trafficking; however, it is making significant
efforts to do so. During the reporting period, the
government enacted comprehensive anti-trafficking
legislation and intensified law enforcement and
prevention efforts. In the coming year, the government
should increase efforts to identify and investigate
acts of human trafficking, convict and punish
traffickers for their crimes, and improve services for
trafficking victims.
J A M A I C A
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