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Understanding the criminal justice process in human trafficking cases in Portugal: factors associated with successful prosecutions

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Abstract

The overall number of convictions for human trafficking is still very low. In order to understand the barriers and gaps to human trafficking prosecutions and convictions, it is pertinent to analyse the criminal justice processes at different stages of the criminal procedure. This study aims to respond to that gap by identifying the cases that initiated criminal justice procedure for the crime of human trafficking in Portugal, through the analysis of 30 records of criminal cases for human trafficking elapsed in Portugal between 2007 and 2015. The results showed that the majority of cases (71%) were filled after the criminal investigation phase, and only 2% of all cases were convicted for human trafficking. The analysis allowed to identify the factors of effectiveness and ineffectiveness shaping legal outcomes and also, the relevance of the victim cooperation in the different stages of criminal justice processes (e.g., police investigation, trial).

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Notes

  1. We requested permission for consulting these cases in 2013 and at that time 164 cases represented 50% of the human trafficking cases registered by the Portuguese CPOs between 2007 and 2013. In November 2015 we updated the data regarding registered human trafficking cases but did not consult nor analyzed any more of these cases.

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Acknowledgements

This study was conducted at Psychology Research Centre, University of Minho, and supported by the Commission for Citizenship and Gender Equality (CIG), Presidency of the Council of Ministers.

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  1. School of Psychology, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal

    Marlene Matos, Mariana Gonçalves & Ângela Maia

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  1. Marlene Matos
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Correspondence to Mariana Gonçalves.

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Matos, M., Gonçalves, M. & Maia, Â. Understanding the criminal justice process in human trafficking cases in Portugal: factors associated with successful prosecutions. Crime Law Soc Change 72, 501–525 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10611-019-09834-9

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