RECENT CONVICTION ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF HEIGHTENED COMMITMENT

UNCLAS TORONTO 000080 SIPDIS SENSITIVE STATE FOR WHA/CAN AND G/TIP (BARBARA FLECK) DHS FOR ICE HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATORS AND PUBLIC SAFETY INVESTIGATIONS DHS CIS OFFICE OF REFUGEE, ASYLUM, AND INTERNATIONAL OPERATIONS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KTIP KCRM KFRD KWMN PHUM PREF CVIS, SMIG, PGOV, CA SUBJECT: RECENT CONVICTION ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF HEIGHTENED COMMITMENT TO TARGET HUMAN TRAFFICKING Ref: (A) Toronto 12 (B) Ottawa 304 ¶1. (U) On April 16, a Toronto-area man was convicted of human trafficking, of gaining material benefit from human trafficking, and of other charges, making it the third such conviction in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). The case also sets a precedent as the first conviction in Canada under a section of the criminal code that specifically targets persons obtaining material benefits from human trafficking. The conviction is an example of law enforcement officials increasingly focusing attention and resources on fighting TIP since Canada amended its criminal code in September 2005 to include anti-trafficking laws. ¶2. (U) In October 2008, police from the Peel Region (just west of Toronto) arrested Vytautas Vilutis, a Toronto-area man, after he allegedly forced a local woman to solicit prostitution on online Craigslist classified ads and availed himself of the proceeds. The victim accused Vilutis of controlling her movements, assaulting her, and threatening her when she did not turn over her money to him. On April 16, Vilutis pled guilty to the charges of human trafficking and obtaining material benefit from human trafficking, as well as to assault, and has been sentenced to serve two years. The case is the first conviction under section 279.2 (under the human trafficking criminal code 279),which specifically targets those who benefit monetarily from trafficking in persons. ¶3. (U) Comment: This latest conviction, along with others (reftel A),demonstrates the increased resources (i.e. police officers and investigation hours) that Canadian authorities are committing to tackle human trafficking. In the few years since anti-trafficking laws were introduced, police in Ontario have made great strides in identifying trafficking victims and prosecuting offenders. Moreover, each successfully prosecuted case demonstrates an increasing understanding by local courts of the tragedy of human trafficking, and the press reporting on such cases also helps to educate the public about the problem. NAY