ANSWERS TO REMAINING QUESTIONS FOR COLOMBIA'S

UNCLAS BOGOTA 002237 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS FOR ADM AID, WHA/AND, WHA/PPC,G/TIP, G, INL, DRL, PRM, IWI, CA/FPP E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PHUM KCRM KWMN SMIG KFRD ASEC PREF ELAB CO SUBJECT: ANSWERS TO REMAINING QUESTIONS FOR COLOMBIA'S SIXTH ANNUAL ANTI-TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS (TIP) REPORT REF: (A) BOGOTA 1967 (B) SECSTATE 3836 The information contained in this cable is sensitive but unclassified. Please handle accordingly. SIPDIS ¶1. (U) REF A responded to questions posed in REF B for the 2006 Annual Anti-Trafficking in Persons report. Para. 2 of REF A indicated that some questions from paragraphs 21.A., 23.E., and 23.I. of REF B were outstanding and would be answered when the information was provided. Answers to these questions follow. ¶2. (U) Embassy point of contact on trafficking in persons is human rights officer Laura Kirkpatrick, phone number (57-1) 383-2168, fax number (57-1) 315-2163. Officer spent 8 hours preparing answers to questions below. -------------- Overview -------------- 21.A. (SBU) The GOC has only recently started to collect statistics on the number of victims and their demographic groups and was unable to supply figures for the reporting period. However, the Family Welfare Institute reported that during 2003-2006, it identified 30 children who were victims of trafficking. -------------- Investigation and Prosecution of Traffickers -------------- 23.E. (SBU) During the reporting period, the GOC had 49 arrests, 25 prosecutions and 23 convictions for trafficking in persons. All 23 of the traffickers were serving custodial sentences, and no individuals accused of trafficking in persons were able to negotiate or plea bargain for a lesser sentence. (As a historical matter, according to the Supreme Council of the Judiciary, the crime of trafficking in persons has not previously been differentiated in their records, but a total of 2,189 people have been convicted of crimes related to trafficking, of which 81 percent were convicted and served custodial sentences or paid fines.) 23.I. (SBU) During the reporting period, the GOC cooperated with Japan to conduct one investigation regarding a network of traffickers. WOOD