Rock of LourdesSecond Deputy Mayor and Councilor for Social Services, Education, Citizen Participation, Youth and Equality, presented the report this Friday Identification of cases of trafficking for sexual exploitationwhich corresponds to the year 2023.
It was prepared by the Technical Unit for Equality of the Palma City Council and is presented on the occasion of the celebration, next Monday, of International Day Against Sexual Exploitation and Human Trafficking. Councillor Roca began her speech “strongly condemning” this social scourge and reaffirming the “firm commitment” of the municipal government team “in the fight for its eradication.”
The comparative and evolutionary analysis of the report shows a sustained dynamic of increase in the proportion of cases of trafficking in human beings for the purpose of sexual exploitation (TFES) which are counted by the city council. According to the standardized criteria, in 2023, in Palma, the TFES situations affected, at least, 26% of people currently prostitutedwhich means four percentage points more than the previous year.
In absolute figures, taking into account the number of people prostituted in the Balearic capital last year (about 1,390), it is estimated that there are 361 victims of traffickingapproximately 40 moreIt should be remembered that the cases analyzed refer only to current trafficking situations and not to past situations or those referring to the route of entry into prostitution.
Concerning the interventions carried out by the consistory with the
victims of trafficking for sexual exploitation, it should be emphasized that
proportion of cases that require and receive attention in the legal field double that observed in the group of prostitutes. Similarly, the proportion of victims who participate in training and work activities is remarkable.
Also taking into account the socio-demographic profile of the victims, the report reveals that trafficking, like prostitution, is a problematic
feminizedGOOD 98.4% of victims posted in Palma they are women.
Furthermore, TFES victims are of a younger age group than prostitutes in general. In 2023, the Middle Ages victims were 34.6 years oldthree years younger than the group of prostitutes.
On the other hand, the report shows that 97%people in
traffic status They have a foreign nationality. Regarding the situation of TFES victims, two out of three are in an irregular situationthat is, they do not have a residence permit in the country and 19 percent do not have a health card. In general, have a lower level of education than that observed among prostitutes. Despite this, almost six out of ten people have completed secondary education, although the majority do not have it approved.
Regarding the environments where they are operated, a preponderance of closed and delocalized contexts is evident. Practically six out of ten victims are exploited in a private home; 19 percent on the street; 12 percent are forced to provide services with
moving, and 9 percent are in a club.
Regarding the victims’ housing situation, They usually live in a rented room. share a residential space with other people or in a brothel. And almost four out of ten live in the same place where they are exploited, which shows the lack of privacy and greater vulnerability of the group.
It should also be noted that two out of three victims of human trafficking
sexual exploitation have family responsibilities. Similarly, the report indicates that more than half have two or more dependents, circumstances that often condition the identification and reporting processes due to fear and threats directed at their loved ones.
