GREECE: JULY 08 TIP UPDATE

UNCLAS ATHENS 001114 SENSITIVE SIPDIS DEPT ALSO FOR EUR/SE, EUR/PGI, AND G/TIP E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PHUM PGOV PREL SMIG KCRM KWMN GR SUBJECT: GREECE: JULY 08 TIP UPDATE REF: ATHENS 959 ¶1. This is Embassy Athens' second regular update on Greece's efforts to combat trafficking in persons (TIP). RATIFICATION OF GREECE-ALBANIA AGREEMENT -------------- ¶2. The Greek Parliament ratified on July 31, 2008 a bilateral Greece-Albania agreement on child repatriation, which had been pending for several years, providing protection and aid to children who have been victims of trafficking. The agreement provides for safe repatriation of child victims of trafficking to Albania and appointment of custodians, and measures to combat root causes of child trafficking, such as improved access to education. The agreement also provides for the establishment of a Central Coordination committee that will aim to improve effectiveness of state organs devoted to trafficking. The agreement will enter into force when it is published in the Government Gaz`tte. ARRESTS MADE IQNG NETWORK -------------- --- ¶3. Two 22-year-old Romanian womQ 18, in Athens, and anharged for participationp women from Romania to@ises and then forced t prostitutes. The arrests were made after police received a telephone call from a terrified 32-year-old woman. The woman had managed to escape from an apartment in Voula, Southern Athens, where she had been held captive, was abused and terrorized, in order to work as a prostitute. The woman was referred to an NGO trafficking victims' shelter. TIP POLICE 2006-2008 REPORT OF ACTIVITIES -------------- ¶4. The TIP police, a section of the National Police's Organized Crime Division, issued a report of activities to celebrate the TIP Police's first two years under this major police division. A summary of key elements of the report follow: -- The TIP police developed a broad network of cooperation with international and regional organizations, such as the UN, INTERPOL, EUROPOL, SECI, IOM, and anti-trafficking police units of other countries. -- The TIP police also had ongoing daily cooperation with prosecutors in the country and NGO's, in order to offer protection and safe repatriation to the victims. -- In the past two years, the TIP police investigated 69 cases and dismantled 13 international organized criminal networks in cooperation with INTERPOL and EUROPOL. -- During that same period, the TIP Police filed court papers against 287 persons in Greece and abroad, on the basis of which 192 Greeks and foreigners were arrested. Of the 192, 117 were charged for participation in a criminal organization; 52 were arrested in Greece, while warrants were issued for others not arrested. Of the 52 arrests in Greece, many are in pre-trial detention or have been released on probation until their case is heard by the courts. Most cases are pending. 4 have been tried on first degree charges, and sentences of 15-19 years were imposed at hose trials. -- Protection and aid was offerd to 127 men, women, and children, many of whom were voluntarily repatriated. Of the 127, 41 were recognized as trafficking victims by the prosecutor and were hosted at NGO shelters. SPECKHARD