Prosecutors, anti-trafficking police, and psychologists from the Peruvian Public Ministry enhance their capabilities to combat Trafficking in Persons in Cusco and Loreto
Professionals from the Victim and Witness Protection and Assistance Program (UDAVIT) of the Public Ministry participated in the 5th Forensic Camp for the Investigation of the Crime of Trafficking in Persons
25 October 2023
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Lima - A total of 29 justice operators, including prosecutors, police officers, and psychologists from the Victim and Witness Protection and Assistance Program (UDAVIT) of the Peruvian Public Ministry in the regions of Loreto and Cusco, participated in the "Forensic Camp for the Investigation of Trafficking in Persons" held in Cusco from October 23 to October 25, 2023.
This innovative methodology allowed professionals specialized in the prosecution and handling of cases of human trafficking and other forms of human exploitation to put their knowledge into practice through the simulation of crime scenes and, in the case of prosecutors, also through the simulation of court hearings. To make these simulations more realistic, a large number of experts and actors were deployed, both during the search operations and the hearings.
For Andrónika Zans Rivera, Provincial Prosecutor of the Specialized Prosecution Office for TIP in Cusco, the forensic camp was the ideal setting to strengthen teamwork between the Public Ministry and the Peruvian National Police (PNP), an essential factor for the success of investigations.
In turn, Officer Esther Costa Reátegui, who is in charge of the Police Investigation Unit for Trafficking in Persons and Smuggling of Migrants in Loreto, said that this event was a great opportunity to improve their skills and a valuable opportunity to strengthen coordination with specialized prosecutors and psychologists from UDAVIT, with whom they work together on cases of trafficking in persons in their region.
Elizabeth Guillén Galdós, a psychologist from UDAVIT Loreto, mentioned that participating in the forensic camp and receiving feedback from experts allowed her to reinforce techniques for approaching and supporting trafficking victims, for example, taking into account the emotional and physical stability of the person, as well as the importance of avoiding re-victimization.
The forensic camp is an initiative that, to date, has been carried out in 4 editions, targeting justice operators specialized in trafficking in persons in Lima, Callao, Puno, Tumbes, Loreto and Cusco. The purpose is to improve their work techniques, with special emphasis on the importance of the assistance and protection that must be provided to the victims, who in many cases are children and adolescents.
These forensic camps are the result of inter-agency cooperation between the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), and the International Labour Organization (ILO), United Nations agencies that have been contributing to enhance the capacities of professionals from the Peruvian criminal justice system to investigate, prosecute, and sanction trafficking in persons and other forms of exploitation.
This innovative methodology allowed professionals specialized in the prosecution and handling of cases of human trafficking and other forms of human exploitation to put their knowledge into practice through the simulation of crime scenes and, in the case of prosecutors, also through the simulation of court hearings. To make these simulations more realistic, a large number of experts and actors were deployed, both during the search operations and the hearings.
For Andrónika Zans Rivera, Provincial Prosecutor of the Specialized Prosecution Office for TIP in Cusco, the forensic camp was the ideal setting to strengthen teamwork between the Public Ministry and the Peruvian National Police (PNP), an essential factor for the success of investigations.
In turn, Officer Esther Costa Reátegui, who is in charge of the Police Investigation Unit for Trafficking in Persons and Smuggling of Migrants in Loreto, said that this event was a great opportunity to improve their skills and a valuable opportunity to strengthen coordination with specialized prosecutors and psychologists from UDAVIT, with whom they work together on cases of trafficking in persons in their region.
Elizabeth Guillén Galdós, a psychologist from UDAVIT Loreto, mentioned that participating in the forensic camp and receiving feedback from experts allowed her to reinforce techniques for approaching and supporting trafficking victims, for example, taking into account the emotional and physical stability of the person, as well as the importance of avoiding re-victimization.
The forensic camp is an initiative that, to date, has been carried out in 4 editions, targeting justice operators specialized in trafficking in persons in Lima, Callao, Puno, Tumbes, Loreto and Cusco. The purpose is to improve their work techniques, with special emphasis on the importance of the assistance and protection that must be provided to the victims, who in many cases are children and adolescents.
These forensic camps are the result of inter-agency cooperation between the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), and the International Labour Organization (ILO), United Nations agencies that have been contributing to enhance the capacities of professionals from the Peruvian criminal justice system to investigate, prosecute, and sanction trafficking in persons and other forms of exploitation.