Swiss Catholic church orders study of past sexual abuse
Geneva, Switzerland AP The leaders of the Roman Catholic Church in Switzerland have asked two academics to lead a study into the Swiss church’s history of sexual exploitation since the mid-20th century, joining other churches in other countries in Europe and beyond to undergo such a reckoning. The Swiss Conference of Bishops and two other […]
WHO employees took part in Congo sex abuse during Ebola crisis, report says
Geneva, SwitzerlandReuters More than 80 aid workers including some employed by the World Health Organization were involved in sexual abuse and exploitation during an Ebola crisis in the Democratic Republic of Congo, an independent commission said on Tuesday. The probe was prompted by an investigation last year by the Thomson Reuters Foundation and The New […]
Amnesty says migrants in Libyan camps forced to trade sex for clean water
Brussels, BelgiumReuters Amnesty International said on Thursday that migrants held in Libyan detention camps are subject to horrific sexual violence at the hands of guards, including being forced to barter sex for clean water, food and access to sanitation. The report, which focused on migrants intercepted in the Mediterranean and who disembarked in Libya in […]
Haiti win raises hopes for women seeking child support from UN peacekeepers
Bogota, ColombiaThomson Reuters Foundation A historic court order for a former United Nations peacekeeper to pay child support for a daughter he fathered while stationed in Haiti raises hopes for dozens of other mothers seeking similar claims worldwide, the woman’s lawyers said. A judge in Jacmel, a port in southern Haiti, ordered a Uruguayan peacekeeper […]
Human trafficking cases in Thailand hit decade low due to COVID-19
Bangkok, ThailandThomson Reuters Foundation Police in Thailand last year launched the lowest number of human trafficking investigations in a decade as coronavirus restrictions on businesses and borders hindered criminal networks, according to a soon-to-be released government report. A total of 131 cases were filed last year – down from 288 in 2019 – showed the […]
Traffickers could profit when UK eases lockdown, anti-slavery chief warns
London, UKThomson Reuters Foundation Britain must be vigilant against human traffickers when it eases the coronavirus lockdown, the country’s anti-slavery chief said, warning of potential exploitation in industries such as hospitality that will be in a rush to recruit new workers. Prime Minister Boris Johnson is due to present this week a possible way out […]
Ecuador to launch new anti-human trafficking plan – official
Bogota, ColombiaThomson Reuters Foundation Ecuador will launch a new prevention and assistance plan focused on sexual and labour exploitation victims, where hundreds of human trafficking survivors have been rescued in the past two years, a top government official said. While authorities have saved 332 trafficking victims since 2017, the US State Department kept Ecuador on […]
Sex trafficking that starts in South America largely stays there
Bogotá, ColombiaThomson Reuters Foundation Women and girls in South America are more likely to become victims of sex trafficking inside their own or neighbouring countries than to be trafficked across continents, officials said last week, urging cooperation among regional governments. The sexual exploitation of women and girls remains the most common form of human trafficking […]
UK anti-slavery hotline uncovers almost 5,000 potential victims in first year
Thomson Reuters Foundation Britain’s modern slavery helpline received thousands of calls in its first full year and identified nearly 5,000 potential victims being exploited in car washes, construction sites, nail bars and brothels, an anti-trafficking charity said on Monday. Unseen, which runs the hotline, said the 3,710 calls from the public and from victims last […]
From child drug mules to migrant smuggling, reports of slavery soar in Britain
Thomson Reuters Foundation From children being forced by gangs to carry illegal drugs, to migrants smuggled into Britain and trapped in exploitative work, reports of slavery in Britain have surged as authorities crack down on the crime, according to data released on Monday. The National Crime Agency said it received 5,145 reports of suspected slavery victims in […]