What does 12 years of monitoring judicial practice show us? Is there justice for victims of human trafficking and related crimes? Are the sentences for perpetrators adequate?
These were just some of the questions discussed at the National Discussion Forum “Position and Rights of Victims of Human Trafficking,” held on Thursday, June 5, 2025, in Belgrade. The forum was organized within the framework of a regional project jointly implemented by ASTRA, VATRA, and Open Gate: La Strada Macedonia.
Despite their different professional backgrounds, participants from the judiciary, prosecution, state institutions, civil society, and academia agreed on one point: important steps have been taken to protect victims during criminal proceedings – including the application of protective measures and the granting of the status of particularly vulnerable witnesses. Still, additional efforts are needed to build a system that is truly proactive, victim-centered, and not solely reliant on the victim’s testimony.
“Human trafficking is one of the most serious crimes of our time. It is also, unfortunately, one of the most profitable branches of global crime. For this reason, a strong institutional and judicial response, as well as a victim-centered approach, must be our priority,” concluded Ms. Vage, Secretary of the Norwegian Embassy in Serbia.
ASTRA’s Director, Marija Andjelkovic, reminded that ASTRA has been working to combat human trafficking for 25 years through prevention, policy development, and, above all, direct support to victims.
“We gathered on the occasion of presenting the 13th analysis of verdicts related to human trafficking and related criminal offenses for the year 2024. This is just one of the activities within the project ‘Smart Balkans – Civil Society for a Connected Western Balkans,’ implemented by the Center for the Promotion of Civil Society from Bosnia and Herzegovina together with two partners, with the support of the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Thanks to this regional project, the same methodology we developed and applied has also been implemented in other countries, providing us now with a regional perspective on the judicial treatment of this serious criminal offense – among other things, as a form of organized crime,” stated Andjelkovic.