The Government of the Republic of Moldova does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking in human beings. According to the international center “La Strada”, the finding is contained in the most recent report launched by U.S. experts, who decided to relegate Moldova to the level of 2010. The Moldovan authorities didn’t make increased effort compared with the previous reporting periods and concentrated on simpler cases of trafficking rather than on complex international cases, “La Strada” says in a press release, quoted by IPN.

The report says namely corruption in the justice sector influenced the results of cases. “La Strada” gives as example the case of a former head of the Biathlon Federation of Moldova, who was acquitted after being charged with trafficking in children in 2014. There was passed no judgment against a police officer who was suspected of taking bribe in 2013 to convince his colleagues to drop a case of trafficking in persons.

In the reporting period, no decision was taken against a former head of the Ministry of the Interior’s division for fighting organized crime, who is suspected of involvement in trafficking in human beings. The investigation of the head of a human rights agency who forced children to beg in Russia and of the bailiff who forced two persons to prostitute themselves didn’t make headway.

The U.S. experts recommend to immediately convict the traffickers in human beings, including governmental officials who take part in human trafficking. The Moldovan authorities are also recommended to exempt the victims of trafficking from meeting the abuser before launching an investigation and to train judges and prosecutors in Moldova so that these conduct investigations centering on the interests of the victim.