Human Trafficking on Trial: Dissecting the Adjudication of Sex Trafficking Cases in Cyprus

Constantinou, Angelo G.

doi:10.1007/s10691-013-9243-z

Cited by 15 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 23 publications

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“…One way of handling this problem may be to provide judges with training on how to apply the criteria and emphasize the importance of the content of testimony rather than the impression the plaintiff has made. Given how important child victim testimony is in human trafficking cases (see, e.g., Constantinou, ), a focus on the testimony and its content may increase legal security and refuge for the young victims.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Nation‐states use conviction rates of human trafficking cases as a key measurement in their efforts to fight this crime. Consequently, high conviction rates are taken to indicate that states are successful in their efforts, and low conviction rates are taken as a sign that the state is not committed to the task of preventing and punishing human trafficking (Constantinou, ; Gallagher & Holmes, ; Segrave et al, ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…There are several challenges in attempting to prosecute traffickers, not least of which is in persuading victims to testify as witnesses. Without such testimony, it seems highly difficult for law enforcement agencies to prove the defendant's culpability and thus to prosecute offenders successfully (Constantinou, ; McCarthy, ; Segrave et al, ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…When victims do testify, their testimony is commonly discredited on grounds that, for example, the victim is unable to talk with clarity, the testimony contains contradictions, or the victim's previous work (e.g., as a cabaret dancer) confounds the legitimacy of the case (Constantinou, ; Segrave et al, ). Thus, not only is victim testimony vital for criminal prosecution, but victims must also be perceived as having a credible and substantiated legal case (Segrave et al, ) and be able to recount their experiences in such a manner that the situations can be recognized by the court as human trafficking (Skilbrei, ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In light of how important victim testimony is in human trafficking cases, as well as how seemingly easily the testimony is dismissed, this study set out to investigate how Swedish district courts reason when assessing the credibility of child victims and the reliability of their testimony. Studies of court proceedings are still rare within the field of human trafficking research (Constantinou, ), and to our knowledge there is no study that has applied a discursive approach to evaluate specifically judges' determinations of child victim credibility and testimony reliability in cases of alleged human trafficking for sexual purposes in Sweden.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 4 more Smart Citations

Legal Assessments of Child Victims of Human Trafficking for Sexual Purposes

Lindholm

Cederborg

2016

Behavioral Sci & The Law

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The present study investigated how Swedish district court judges assessed child victims' credibility and the reliability of their testimony in cases of alleged human trafficking for sexual purposes. Court files from 12 different cases, involving 16 alleged child victims (aged 13-17 years old), all of them girls, were qualitatively analyzed with particular attention paid to how the judges described credibility and reliability. Results indicated that, although the judges' assessments to a large extent were based on the Swedish Supreme Court's criteria for credibility and reliability, they were applied somewhat arbitrarily and subjectively. They were also applied as if obvious and grounded on shared experiences, although their meaning was never explored. The way that credibility was assessed may also reinforce gender and victim stereotypes. Moreover, there seems to exist a confusion surrounding the credibility and reliability concepts, as they were sometimes used interchangeably despite the intention that they are two different assessments. Overall, an apparent need exists to increase judges' awareness that their subjective impressions should decrease when legitimizing judicial decisions. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 3 more Smart Citations

Legal Assessments of Child Victims of Human Trafficking for Sexual Purposes

Lindholm

Cederborg

2016

Behavioral Sci & The Law

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Labor Trafficking and Exploitation: What Remains to be Addressed for Prosecution and Victim Protection?

Villacampa

2024

The Palgrave Handbook on Modern Slavery

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How useful is the concept of transit migration in an intra-Schengen mobility context? Diving into the migrant smuggling and human trafficking nexus in search for answers

Rebetz

2020

Eur J Crim Policy Res

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When using the concept of transit migration, contemporary scholarly literature and policy documents typically refer to situations located outside or at the outskirts of the European Union. By analyzing the critical and empirical scholarship which uncovers the so-called gray area where it becomes hard to make clear distinctions that can be found at the nexus between migrant smuggling and human trafficking, the article aims to shed new light on the real-life vulnerabilities and dynamics that do not fit prototypical legal categories of either human trafficking or migrant smuggling. In so doing, the article discusses and analyzes legal and empirical scholarship that uncovers these vulnerabilities. The vulnerabilities observed are likely to be further enhanced in transit zones where stranded individuals within the EU aim to continue their (increasingly) fragmented/non-linear migration journeys. Therefore, the article proposes to consider the usefulness and the usage of the notion of “transit migration” in the context of Intra-Schengen border mobility and not just when discussing external border mobility. The article argues that the concept of transit migration, if carefully defined, and if particular vulnerabilities found in transit space are recognized, can serve as a helpful lens that can prevent falling into the trap of conceiving migrant smuggling and human trafficking as strictly separate phenomena.

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Human Trafficking on Trial: Dissecting the Adjudication of Sex Trafficking Cases in Cyprus

Cited by 15 publications

References 23 publications

Legal Assessments of Child Victims of Human Trafficking for Sexual Purposes

Legal Assessments of Child Victims of Human Trafficking for Sexual Purposes

Labor Trafficking and Exploitation: What Remains to be Addressed for Prosecution and Victim Protection?

How useful is the concept of transit migration in an intra-Schengen mobility context? Diving into the migrant smuggling and human trafficking nexus in search for answers

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