TOP DUTCH PROSECUTOR CALLS FOR ENDING TIP IN FOUR

UNCLAS THE HAGUE 002292 SIPDIS STATE FOR G/TIP, G, INL, DRL, PRM, IWI, EUR/PGI, EUR/UBI JUSTICE FOR T. MARCH BELL DHS FOR OIA, SAC/HOUSTON HHS FOR PEDRO MORENO SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PHUM SMIG KCRM KWMN PREF NL SUBJECT: TOP DUTCH PROSECUTOR CALLS FOR ENDING TIP IN FOUR YEARS ¶1. Harm Brouwer, Chairman of the College of Prosecutors- General told an October 17 press conference that his goal is to eliminate human trafficking (TIP) in the Netherlands within four years. He called TIP a modern form of slavery, unworthy of society. Brouwer said that hundreds of foreign women are trafficked into the Netherlands each year to work as illegal prostitutes, and that customers of prostitutes should realize that they are sustaining slavery. Brouwer said that large cities, including Amsterdam, are working hard to fight TIP, but that smaller cities also need to focus on the issue. ¶2. Brouwer spoke at the press conference to release the National Prosecutor's Office (OM) "Perspective 2010" report, which sets priorities for the Dutch public prosecutor's office for the next four years. (Note: The College of Prosecutors-General is responsible for policy and administrative oversight of Dutch public prosecutors. End Note.) The report identifies six themes for priority focus: fraud, cyber crime, asset seizure, international cooperation, young criminal immigrants, and discrimination. In addition, the Prosecutor's Office will continue to give special emphasis to combating organized crime, in particular human trafficking; and to terrorism, juvenile delinquency, repeat offenders, violence, and hemp cultivation. In all of these areas, the prosecutor's office intends to invest in efficiency improvement, expertise and manpower. ¶3. Brouwer said that TIP was one of the most urgent and harrowing problems. He said he assumed that, after the ban on brothels was lifted at the end of 2000, illegal prostitution had shifted to escort services and the webcam industry, but regretted that there was not enough information about this. Brouwer said that significant efforts had been made to combat TIP, but acknowledged that law enforcement services still know too little about TIP, and lamented that the problem still exists. A Justice Ministry official familiar with an ongoing GONL study on the impact of the 2000 lifting of the brothel ban indicated that the study, expected to be published in early 2007, may provide more information about the escort and internet/webcam sectors. She also welcomed the broad approach that Brouwer advocated for fighting TIP. ¶4. Brouwer announced that the Prosecutors' Office would initiate a special project to develop a coherent plan of action focused on intensified local, regional, national and international cooperation. According to Brouwer, this plan will enhance cooperation among customs and tax services, the social and fiscal investigation services, the immigration service, border police, and local governments. The objective, he said, would be to ensure that, "through a mixture of administrative sanctions, prevention measures and criminal repression, there no longer is any room for the people trafficking sector." ¶5. COMMENT. The Dutch government is fully committed to combating TIP. Brower's call to end trafficking in the Netherlands within four years underscores that commitment. It will also help to advance government and NGO anti-TIP efforts by shining a high-level public spotlight on the issue. Schofer