Human Trafficking in [Serbia, Montenegro and Kosovo] [other countries]
Street Children in [Serbia, Montenegro and Kosovo] [other countries]
Child Prostitution in [Serbia, Montenegro and Kosovo] [other countries]
 

Child Prostitution

The Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children

Serbia, Montenegro & Kosovo

In the first ten years of the 21^st Century - 2000 to 2009

Republic of Serbia Milosevic-era mismanagement of the economy, an extended period of international economic sanctions, and the damage to Yugoslavia's infrastructure and industry during the NATO airstrikes in 1999 left the economy only half the size it was in 1990. Belgrade has made progress in trade liberalization and enterprise restructuring and privatization, including telecommunications and small- and medium-size firms. It has made halting progress towards EU membership despite signing a Stabilization and Association Agreement with Brussels in May 2008. Serbia is also pursuing membership in the World Trade Organization. Unemployment and the large current account deficit remain ongoing political and economic problems. [The World Factbook, U.S.C.I.A. 2009]

Republic of Montenegro The dissolution of the loose political union between Serbia and Montenegro in 2006 led to separate membership in several international financial institutions, such as the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. Unemployment and regional disparities in development are key political and economic problems. Montenegro has privatized its large aluminum complex - the dominant industry - as well as most of its financial sector, and has begun to attract foreign direct investment in the tourism sector. The global financial crisis is likely to have a significant negative impact on the economy. [The World Factbook, U.S.C.I.A. 2009]

Republic of Kosovo Kosovo's citizens are the poorest in Europe with an average annual per capita income of only $2,300. Unemployment, around 40% of the population, is a significant problem that encourages outward migration and black market activity. Most of Kosovo's population lives in rural towns outside of the capital, Pristina. Inefficient, near-subsistence farming is common - the result of small plots, limited mechanization, and lack of technical expertise. [The World Factbook, U.S.C.I.A. 2009]

CAUTION:  The following links and accompanying text have been culled from the web to illuminate the situation in Serbia, Montenegro and Kosovo. Some of these links may lead to websites that present allegations that are unsubstantiated, misleading or even false. No attempt has been made to validate their authenticity or to verify their content.

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Trafficking in Human Beings in Southeastern Europe [PDF]

[page 78] 1.2. TRAFFICKING OF CHILDREN - Anecdotes of child prostitution around train and bus stations, mainly of Roma children, are common. The Romanian Embassy is not interested in repatriating these children and adolescents, and no special programs or services exist for migrant children living on the streets.

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ECPAT Global Monitoring Report on the status of action against commercial exploitation of children - SERBIA [PDF]

www.ecpat.net/A4A_2005/PDF/Europe/Global_Monitoring_Report-SERBIA.pdf

The trafficking of children within, into and out of Serbia and Kosovo, as well as child prostitution, have been the major manifestations of the commercial sexual exploitation of children (CSEC) in the Republic. The problem has reached alarming proportions in the UN Administered Province of Kosovo, aggravated by the total lack of initiatives to protect children, which demands particular and urgent attention.

Roma children and street children are an extremely vulnerable group, and anecdotes of prostitution of Roma children around train and bus stations are common. These children are at high risk of being trafficked in Serbia in particular, and there were reports in 2002 of Roma children from the former Yugoslavia being sold in Italy for the sex industry.

Bur of Democracy, Human Rights & Labor - Country Reports on Human Rights Practices - 2005

TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS – Serbia was a transit point, and to a lesser extent a point of origin and destination, for trafficking in women and girls for the purpose of sexual exploitation.

Underage girls were among those trafficked for sexual exploitation. In November authorities rescued a 14-year-old girl at the Slovenian border from an international trafficking ring attempting to take her to the Netherlands for work and sexual exploitation. Her family in Prokuplje had sold her for $3,600 (3 thousand euros).

Five handed suspended sentences for human trafficking

194.109.152.234/eng/news/crimes-article.php?yyyy=2007&mm=03&dd=09&nav_id=40042

A Belgrade court sentenced five persons to suspended jail terms on human trafficking charges.

The group was arrested in November 2005, when Radivojević “bought” a Serbian citizen identified as I.R. in Bogatić, taking her to Gmijović’s apartment in Belgrade, where she was illegally detained for several days until the police set her free.  The criminal group had intended to illegally transfer their victim to Italy.

When ‘Peacekeeping’ Equals Rape

The actor wants to send UN Peacekeepers to Darfur, or so Clooney said in a recent speech in front of the UN Security Council. Be careful. Wherever they go, these ‘Peace-Keepers’ are ‘Violence-Bringers’ to the bodies of women. The head of the peacekeeping forces in Bosnia requested that a girl from the Serbian rape camps be delivered to him for his pleasure. On the streets of Zagreb, peacekeeping forces were asking women how much they charged for sex.

Serbia and Montenegro - Country Reports on Human Rights Practices - 2003

[f] TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS - The law prohibits trafficking in persons; however, trafficking in persons remained a serious problem. There were reports that police and other officials were involved in trafficking,

ECPAT: Fifth Report on implementation of the Agenda for Action [DOC]

www.ecpat.net/eng/Ecpat_inter/publication/other/english/Doc_page/ecpat_5th_a4a_2001_full.doc

At one time this article had been archived and may possibly still be accessible [here]

[B] COUNTRY UPDATES – SERBIA-MONTENEGRO – No specific actions to prevent CSEC are taking place. The aim is to improve the child protection system as a whole. The new government has announced that it will make all necessary legislative changes to harmonise national legislation with EU standards. It is thought that the new legislation will include protection measures against CSEC.

Report by Special Rapporteur [DOC]

[79] Sale and trafficking are criminalized in the context of slavery and trade in people, and prostitution and pornography are addressed in the Criminal Law.  Concerning prostitution, criminal liability is incurred by any person involved in procuring females for prostitution.  If the female is a minor, the perpetrator is liable to imprisonment for between 1 and 10 years.  Concerning pornography, currently the only offence is showing pornographic material to minors.  Draft amendments to the Criminal Law will modify this to also criminalize the act of involving persons under the age of 14 in the producing of pornography.

Serbia & Montenegro - Country Narratives -2005

The union of Serbia and Montenegro is a source, transit, and destination country for women and girls trafficked internally and internationally for the purpose of sexual exploitation. Victims identified in Serbia and Montenegro came from Ukraine, Russia, Romania, Bulgaria, Lithuania, Moldova, Georgia, and from the former Yugoslavia. In Serbia, more than half of victims that are trafficked internally originate in the northern province of Vojvodina. Foreign destinations for victims from Serbia and Montenegro include Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, and Western Europe (principally Italy), as well as the UN-administered province of Kosovo.

Trafficking in Human Beings in Southeastern Europe [PDF]

[page 78] 1.2. TRAFFICKING OF CHILDREN - Anecdotes of child prostitution around train and bus stations, mainly of Roma children, are common. The Romanian Embassy is not interested in repatriating these children and adolescents, and no special programs or services exist for migrant children living on the streets.

Commitment to the Stockholm Agenda for Action: 20th December 2001

www.ecpat.net/eng/ecpat_inter/Country/National_plans_of_action/Serbia%20&%20Montenegro.html

At one time this article had been archived and may possibly still be accessible [here]

There is no National Plan of Action against CSEC in Serbia, Montenegro or Kosovo. However, in Serbia, working groups are currently developing a National Plan of Action to tackle trafficking in general. Likewise, in Montenegro, the Victim’s Protection Project (VPP) has been developed.

ECPAT: Beo Support

www.ecpat.net/eng/Ecpat_network/Groups/groups.asp?countryid=192&regionid=4

At one time this article had been archived and may possibly still be accessible [here]

Beo Support's main goals are: raising awareness of the trafficking among wide population in Serbia; empowering children and youth to combat against sexual exploitation; and, last but not least, teaching young people how to protect their peers in the same way as themselves.

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Human Trafficking in [Serbia, Montenegro and Kosovo] [other countries]
Street Children in [Serbia, Montenegro and Kosovo] [other countries]
Child Prostitution in [Serbia, Montenegro and Kosovo] [other countries]