2007 Trafficking in Persons Report - Center for Women Policy Studies

D E N M A R K
90
including child soldiers and children in prostitution.
The government does not generally penalize
victims of trafficking for unlawful acts committed as
part of their being trafficked, but does not encourage
victims of trafficking to assist in the investigation
and prosecution of their exploiters.
Prevention
The majority of the government prevention efforts
during the reporting period focused on disseminating
messages against child soldiering. Using radio
and television messages, posters, flyers, and t-shirts,
in 2006, CONADER conducted extensive public
education campaigns that informed the military that
child soldiering is illegal, and attempted to dissuade
children from joining armed groups and convince
families and communities to reintegrate demobilized
children. Working with NGO partners, the Ministry
of Justice began designing a campaign to educate the
public about the new law against sexual violence.
In June, the transitional government created the
National Committee to Combat the Worst Forms
of Child Labor; though the committee held several
meetings, it did not begin to fulfill its mandate.
DENMARK (Tier 1)
Denmark is primarily a transit and destination
country for women and girls trafficked from
Ukraine, the Baltic states, the Czech Republic,
Slovakia, Romania, Thailand, Ghana, and Nigeria
for the purpose of commercial sexual exploitation.
The Government of Denmark fully complies with
the minimum standards for the elimination of
trafficking. In December 2006, the government
adopted its second anti-trafficking national action
plan and extended the period of reflection it grants
foreign trafficking victims from 15 to 100 days.
Denmark spent approximately $178,000 on a
domestic national awareness campaign during the
year. The government should consider granting
identified trafficking victims temporary residency
and work permits in order to increase victim
participation in trafficking investigations. Denmark
should develop legal alternatives to deportation
for victims who face retribution or hardship upon
repatriation. Although the government has invested
considerable resources to improve law enforcement
efforts, more should be done to improve the collection
of trafficking statistics.
Prosecution
The Government of Denmark sustained law enforcement
efforts over the reporting period. Denmark
prohibits trafficking for both sexual exploitation
and forced labor through Section 262 of its criminal
code, although prosecutors often use the procurement
law to prosecute traffickers. Punishments
prescribed for trafficking under section 262 extend to
eight years’ imprisonment, are sufficiently stringent
and are commensurate with penalties prescribed for
other grave crimes, such as rape. Police conducted
a total of 21 trafficking investigations during the
reporting period, down from 30 investigations
in 2005. Initial information shows that in 2006,
authorities prosecuted at least 14 trafficking cases,
compared to 30 cases in 2005. Convictions were
obtained against 33 traffickers in 2006, including
three under the anti-trafficking statute and 30 under
the procurement law; in 2005, seven traffickers were
convicted under the anti-trafficking statute and 20
were convicted under the procurement law. All 33
traffickers convicted under the two laws served some
time in prison; no convicted traffickers received
suspended sentences in 2006.
Protection
Denmark continued to provide adequate assistance
and protection for victims of trafficking. The government
continued to fully fund three regional NGOs in
Denmark that provide victim outreach and identification,
rehabilitative counseling, shelter, and public
awareness. The government trained police personnel
to effectively use the “Next Stop” trafficking hotline
to refer victims to appropriate anti-trafficking NGOs
for assistance. Police encouraged victims to participate
in trafficking investigations, but the government
did not prevent the punishment of trafficking victims
for unlawful acts committed as a result of their
being trafficked, such as detention for immigration
violations. Consequently, few foreign victims assisted
authorities in investigations. The government did
not provide victims with legal alternatives to their
removal to countries where they could face hardship
or retribution. Although some government-funded
NGOs did attempt to contact NGOs in source countries
to facilitate safe repatriation of victims, deficiencies
in the infrastructures of some source countries
resulted in victims returning to face hardship,
retribution, or re-trafficking upon their return.
Prevention
Denmark demonstrated progress in its trafficking
prevention efforts. In October 2006, the government
launched “You Have a Choice, She Doesn’t,” a
nation-wide information campaign that focused on
domestic demand reduction and increased general
public awareness of trafficking. The campaign
included television and film advertisements, billboards,
fliers, and leaflets. The government continued
to adequately monitor its borders. Denmark
continued to fund NGOs to conduct regional
awareness campaigns.