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Viewing cable 07BUCHAREST237, ROMANIA,S SEVENTH ANNUAL ANTI-TRAFFICKING IN

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Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
07BUCHAREST237 2007-03-01 15:36 2011-08-25 00:00 UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY Embassy Bucharest
VZCZCXYZ0002
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHBM #0237/01 0601536
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 011536Z MAR 07
FM AMEMBASSY BUCHAREST
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 6157
INFO RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA 0567
RUEHTH/AMEMBASSY ATHENS 0954
RUEHBW/AMEMBASSY BELGRADE 0325
RUEHRL/AMEMBASSY BERLIN 0251
RUEHBS/AMEMBASSY BRUSSELS 4073
RUEHUP/AMEMBASSY BUDAPEST 1179
RUEHCH/AMEMBASSY CHISINAU 1231
RUEHCP/AMEMBASSY COPENHAGEN 0639
RUEHDL/AMEMBASSY DUBLIN 0072
RUEHKV/AMEMBASSY KYIV 0006
RUEHMD/AMEMBASSY MADRID 1638
RUEHMO/AMEMBASSY MOSCOW 0839
RUEHNC/AMEMBASSY NICOSIA 0345
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 0263
RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME 0858
RUEHSQ/AMEMBASSY SKOPJE 0644
RUEHSF/AMEMBASSY SOFIA 4862
RUEHTC/AMEMBASSY THE HAGUE 1060
RUEHVI/AMEMBASSY VIENNA 1971
RUEAWJA/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHDC
RUEHC/DEPT OF LABOR WASHDC
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC
RUEAHLC/HOMELAND SECURITY CENTER WASHDC
UNCLAS BUCHAREST 000237 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR G/TIP, G, INL, DRL, PRM, IWI 
DEPT FOR EUR/NCE AARON JENSEN 
DEPT FOR USAID 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM PREF SMIG ELAB EAID KCRM KWMN
KFRD, SOCI, RO 
SUBJECT: ROMANIA,S SEVENTH ANNUAL ANTI-TRAFFICKING IN 
PERSONS REPORT 
 
REF: STATE 00202745 
 
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED.  PLEASE PROTECT ACCORDINGLY. 
 
Embassy Bucharest's submission for the annual Trafficking in 
Persons report follows below with answers keyed to reftel. 
 
1.  (SBU) OVERVIEW: 
------------------- 
 
A.  Romania is a country of origin and transit for 
trafficking in persons (TIP).  While the majority of TIP 
cases pertain to international trafficking between Romania 
and Western Europe, there are cases of domestic trafficking 
as well.  Victims - primarily women and children - are 
trafficked for purposes of sexual exploitation, labor 
exploitation and forced mendicancy.  The total number of 
victims identified by the Government of Romania (GOR) in 2006 
was 2285. 
 
Out of the 2285 identified victims, 316 were minors, 542 men 
and 1427 women. 
Types of exploitation: 
-     1451 sexual exploitation; 
-     624 labor exploitation; 
-     183 begging; 
-     27 other forms. 
 
In 2006, 12% of the identified TIP victims were victims of 
internal trafficking.  This is the first time that the GOR 
has officially recorded the number of victims exploited 
within Romania,s borders. 
 
In 2006, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) 
assisted 137 victims.  IOM figures indicate that the average 
age of the victims they assisted was 22 years old; 
approximately 15% of the victims they assisted were minors 
under the age of 18.  The distribution of trafficked victims 
by age is as follows: one victim under the age of 14; 19 
victims between the ages of 15-17; 56 victims between the 
ages of 18-20; 48 victims between the ages of 21-29; and 13 
victims over the age of 30.  Eight of these victims were 
citizens of the Republic of Moldova; two of them were 
identified in Romania, and the remainder were repatriated 
through IOM Romania from other countries. 
 
Of the 137 victims assisted by IOM, 44 were repatriated from 
Italy and 33 were repatriated from Spain.  In previous years, 
Bosnia-Herzegovina and the Republic of Macedonia were the 
destination countries for a high number of victims, but that 
number has been reduced significantly in recent years.  The 
increase in trafficking victims destined for Italy and Spain 
parallels the increase in overall migration of young 
Romanians who travel to these countries for low-wage jobs. 
 
For 2006, the available sources of information concerning TIP 
cases were: the General Directorate for Combating Organized 
Crime (DGCCO) within the Ministry of Administration and 
Interior, which provides data regarding identified victims of 
trafficking during their specific operations, including those 
who are identified by border police; and the  General 
 
Prosecutors Office and Ministry of Justice regarding the 
number of prosecuted and trialed cases, including the number 
of arrested and convicted persons. 
 
The number of assisted victims of trafficking was provided by 
local and international nongovernmental organizations, 
regional branches of the National Agency Against Trafficking 
in Persons (ANITP), local authorities and state run shelters. 
 
The TIP National Data Base, which has been operational within 
the framework of ANITP since December, 2006, allows for 
better identification of the victims and a faster response to 
their needs. Based on its data, the first Evaluation Report 
will be presented to the public in July-August, 2007. A list 
of indicators (containing various data about trafficking, 
victim assistance and social reintegration) was agreed upon 
by ANITP, Police, Border Police, Gendarmerie and other 
agencies, as well as by NGOs and provides the basis for 
further reports to the National Data Base. 
 
The Resource Centre (RC), which is a dedicated unit within 
the GDCOC, found that women between the ages of 18 and 25 are 
more likely to become victims of trafficking for sexual 
purposes than any other age group or gender.  Children are 
more likely to become victims of trafficking if they came 
from State Centers, single-parent homes and/or a 
dysfunctional family environment (e.g. families with 
financial difficulties, abuse, or alcoholism).  Victims are 
sometimes approached by family &friends8 or other persons 
of influence, and are promised &good8 jobs.  In the case of 
child victims, parents are typically assured that their 
children would have a better life and/or receive money in 
exchange for their children.  The victims are moved outside 
of Romania under the guise of &organized tourism.8  In most 
cases victims travel legally.  However, there are cases where 
false documents are used or the victim travels across the 
border illegally.  Although no statistics from GOR or other 
sources exist regarding TIP and the Roma community, Roma 
leaders recognize that some Roma are victims of TIP, 
underscoring that the poverty and social instability in a 
number of Roma communities makes Roma particularly vulnerable 
to trafficking. 
 
B.  The profile of traffickers is broad and varied.  In some 
cases traffickers belong to internationally organized groups, 
which can also be specialized in other crimes such is drugs, 
guns, etc.; however in the majority of cases, traffickers 
come from small groups with loose structures, including 
family members or other individuals that are often known to 
the victims.  Some victims may at some point become 
traffickers, particularly recruiters, as they see no other 
opportunities in life. 
 
The number of victims identified by the GOR likely does not 
reflect the total number of victims of TIP-related crimes. 
Many victims are reluctant to identify themselves, primarily 
because of the social stigma associated with TIP activities. 
There is also a general distrust among TIP victims of 
government officials and their readiness to assist them. 
Many victims either seek no assistance or prefer to take 
advantage of other options rather than accept government 
 
assistance. 
 
A Program of National Interest for victim assistance was 
proposed by the ANITP in the last Quarter of 2006 to make 
Governmental funds available for NGOs in order to ensure a 
better quality of the services for TIP victims. It was 
approved by Minister of Administration and Interior with this 
view and around 800,000 RON (more than 300,000 USD) should be 
available no later than June, 2007. 
 
Following the passage of Law no. 1584/2005, ANITP became 
fully operational in  May 2006, and created 8 regional 
centers ) 4 of them in their own offices (Iasi, Galati, 
Constanta, Timisoara), or hosted by police units (Pitesti, 
Craiova, Cluj-Napoca and Bucharest).  In order to improve 
anti-trafficking efforts, passage of Law no. 1083/2006 
extended the number of the regional centers from 8 to 15, 
with three staff members for each (an increase from the 
previously required two staff members.)  Between September 
and December 2006, the newly existing staff in the regional 
centers had already made an impact in anti-trafficking 
efforts by identifying a total of 79 victims. 
 
In order to provide more support to the victims who testify 
against traffickers and avoid their stepping back because of 
traffickers influence, ANITP, in collaboration with the GDCOC 
and Ministry of Justice, launched in November 2006 the 
Victim/Witness Coordination Program in the southern and 
eastern regions of the country. Approximately 26 victims were 
included in the initial phase of the program.  This program 
will be highlighted at the end of this report as a &best 
practice.8 
 
C. The GOR has made progress in addressing the limitations 
they have in their ability to combat TIP.  The ANITP 
representatives in the regional centers have improved the 
referral mechanisms in their respective regions, however a 
central referral system that covers the entire country is 
still lacking.  Funding for anti-TIP activities has increased 
in 2006 and the ANITP now has a provision in place to provide 
more than 300,000 USD to NGOs who are involved in TIP issues. 
 The level of cooperation that exists between ANITP and the 
NGOs has improved, in that ANITP has increased its reach to 
the NGO community in order to address the TIP problem.  ANITP 
currently is working hard to improve cooperation and overcome 
the bureaucratic obstacles that exist between the national 
and local governments. 
 
D.  The GOR monitors Anti-Trafficking efforts through the 
ANITP and in 2006 has improved its ability to gather 
statistics regarding TIP.  The GOR has been very forthcoming 
in sharing these statistics with NGOs, other governments and 
international organizations. 
 
2. (SBU) PREVENTION: 
-------------------- 
 
A.  The Romanian government recognizes that trafficking in 
persons is a serious problem.  In 2006, the President of 
Romania identified human trafficking as one of the more 
important issues that needed to be addressed by the 
 
government.  The GOR,s commitment to anti-trafficking was 
demonstrated through increased authorities for ANITP (and 
increased funding) throughout the course of 2006.  The GOR is 
also very active in the Southeast European Cooperative 
Initiative (SECI) Bucharest-based regional anti-crime center, 
and throughout 2006 a Romanian official headed the Task Force 
on Combating Trafficking in Human Beings within SECI.  SECI 
is a regional model for sharing of law enforcement 
information, including about TIP, and its TIP task force is 
one of SECI's most successful endeavors. 
 
B.  ANITP is the governmental agency that leads the efforts 
of all other agencies involved in anti-trafficking.  The 
director of ANITP is the chairman of the Inter-ministerial 
Working Group (IWG) on Human Trafficking.  Other government 
agencies involved in anti-TIP activities include: the 
Ministry of Administration and Interior (MAI), the General 
Inspectorate of Border Police(GIBP), General Prosecutor,s 
Office (GPO), Ministry of Justice (MOJ), Ministry of Labor 
and Social Solidarity (MLSS), Ministry of Education and 
Research (MER), Ministry of Health (MOH), Ministry of Finance 
(MOF), Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Human Rights Department), 
National Authority for Child Protection (NACP), Ministry of 
Public Administration (MPA), Ministry of European 
Integration, National Office for Refugees, Ministry of 
Culture and Religion, National Audio-Visual Council, National 
Authority for the Labor Force, Ministry of Youth, Agency for 
Student Camps and Tourism and the National Authority for 
Child Protection and Adoptions.  All of these agencies are 
members of the IWG. 
 
C.  The GOR partnered with several different NGOs to produce 
anti-trafficking campaigns.  There have been several 
information and education campaigns both at the national and 
at the local level in which the government has been either 
the initiator or a key partner to international organizations 
or NGOs.  Some campaigns were financed by the government, 
while others were financed by international donors through 
NGOs. 
 
Campaigns developed in 2006: 
 
-     2 EXIT campaigns developed in partnership with MTV 
Great Britain, ADPARE and the National Agency against 
Trafficking in Persons (in Cluj and Constansa). In those 
campaigns 13.000 young people participated between the ages 
of 16 and 25 and were distributed fliers and CDs; 
 
-     Romania was part of the European effort for preventing 
TIP during the World Cup 2006, Germany, by promoting, in 
partnership with AIDROM, &Don,t pass on human beings8 
campaign; 
 
-     A national campaign developed by the National Agency 
against Trafficking in Persons, with the financial support 
from the US Embassy, &Be careful, you will pay8 was 
launched in December 2006 and addressed young people between 
the ages of 16 and 25. This campaign also promoted the 
Agency,s toll-free phone number 0 800 800 678; 
 
-     The National Authority for Protection of Children 
 
Rights continued the public education campaign regarding the 
rights of the child  &THE RIGHTS OF THE CHILD ARE LAW,8 
which ran throughout 2006; 
 
-     Between July 20 and December 7 2006 the Office for 
Labor Force Migration and Labor Abroad Department developed 
an information campaign, &Choose legal labor force 
migration!8 
 
-     The Ministry of Education and Research included the 
problem of trafficking in persons in the Counseling and 
Orientation school programs in the gymnasium, high-school and 
in arts and crafts schools. 
 
-     The National Program of Education for Democratic 
Citizenship (NPEDC) directly targeted the trafficking 
phenomenon, having distinct chapters for the prevention and 
countering the trafficking in persons, for the whole 
pre-university educational system. 
 
-     The Ministry of Education and Research has developed 
government-NGO partnerships; there are collaboration 
protocols signed among the county school inspectorates, the 
governmental and non-governmental institutions in order to 
ensure the diversification and the improvement of the 
prevention activities, effectiveness. 
 
-     Within the campaign &Be careful, you will pay!8 the 
Roma population was included in the target group and 
prevention materials were translated into the Romany 
language. 
 
D.  The Ministry of Labor, Social Solidarity and Family 
(MLSSF), together with the National Employment Agency, the 
National Agency for Family Protection and the National Agency 
for Equal Opportunities, apply specific measures in order to 
socially integrate persons, especially women, who belong to 
low-developed areas and who find themselves in trafficking 
situations. MLSSF has adopted a set of specific measures to 
combat TIP, which focus on improving the economic and social 
status of persons who are at risk of being trafficked, as 
well as provide potential victims with a better understanding 
of the legal procedures for employment abroad.  In this 
regard, the GOR has signed a series of bilateral agreements 
with other European countries in order to bring the work 
force movement under regulation. 
 
The National Anti-Poverty and Promoting Social Inclusion Plan 
also set a strategy to promote &social inclusion,8 with the 
following specific objectives: to increase employment 
opportunities and combat all forms of discrimination against 
women, to promote equal opportunities in all fields and all 
situations. 
 
E.  The relationships between government officials and NGOs 
concerned with trafficking improved in 2006.  There is 
particularly good cooperation at the working level that is 
often driven by a growing network of personal contacts. 
 
At the national level, NGOs and international organizations 
participate in the IWG meetings. NGOs report that their 
 
presence in these meetings is useful at the level of 
information exchange, but their power in influencing policy 
is limited. 
 
A few counties reported that they created similar 
working-level multi-agency teams comprised of representatives 
of civil society and various governmental institutions 
involved in anti-trafficking activities at the local level. 
These multi-agency teams meet on a regular basis and have had 
some positive results, but these are isolated examples. 
There are still improvements that can be made at the 
county-level, which the ANITP began to address in 2006. 
 
F.  The GOR monitors its borders through the General 
Inspectorate of Border Police (GIBP).  The GIBP monitors 
immigration and immigration patterns and uses this analysis 
to prevent trafficking from occurring.  Analysis in 2006 
showed a reduction in trafficking across the western border 
into Hungary and Serbia.  The GOR continued to work closely 
with European partners to help strengthen Romania,s borders. 
 
G. Coordination on TIP issues among the government, 
international organizations and NGOs occurs within the 
framework of the IWG, which is made up of various 
governmental ministry representatives and international 
organizations and is coordinated by the Ministry of 
Administration and Interior (MAI).  NGOs and US Embassy 
representatives are invited to all IWG meetings.  In December 
2005, the Romanian government passed a law establishing the 
National Agency for the Prevention of TIP and for Monitoring 
the Protection of TIP Victims. 
The GOR has a specialized investigative and prosecutorial 
unit for public corruption based on the task force model. 
The government formed an inter-ministerial council at the end 
of 2005 that meets regularly to coordinate the fight against 
corruption.  The Minister of Justice acts as the council's 
coordinator, and invites NGO representatives and journalists 
to the council's meetings.  This council oversees 
implementation of the 2005-2007 National Anticorruption 
Strategy, which aims to prosecute high-level corruption, 
increase transparency in public administration, prevent 
corrupt business practices, and increase the integrity of the 
judiciary. 
H.  A five year National Action Plan for Combating 
Trafficking in Human Beings was adopted in 2001.  National 
agencies responsible for the implementation of the Plan 
include: MAI-GDCOC, MOJ, MOF, MFA, NACP, MLSS, MPA and MER. 
NGOs were consulted in the process of adopting the decision, 
and are intended to act as partners during all phases of 
implementation.  The National Action Plan was widely 
disseminated through seminars and training sessions.  In 
2004, the government adopted a separate National Action Plan 
on the Prevention of Trafficking in Children.  The Ministry 
of Administration and Interior working in conjunction with 
UNICEF developed a draft anti-trafficking strategy for 
2006-2010 accompanied by a detailed action plan for 
2006-2008.  A final form of the strategy and action plan was 
endorsed by each ministry and then adopted by the government 
in December 2006. 
 
3.  (SBU) INVESTIGATION AND PROSECUTION OF TRAFFICKERS: 
 
--------------------------------------------- ---------- 
 
A.  Law no. 678/2001 specifically prohibits trafficking, and 
seeks to protect and assist trafficked victims.  Article 2 of 
the law specifically covers both trafficking for sexual 
exploitation and trafficking for non-sexual purposes (e.g. 
forced labor).  Moreover, the law sets forth prosecution 
measures and punishments for traffickers.  Law no. 39/2003 
for Combating Organized Crime specifically defines TIP as a 
serious crime, and includes TIP offenses.  Article 2 of the 
law defines an organized criminal group as follows: &a 
structured group formed of three or more persons that exist 
for a period of time and acts in a coordinated manner for the 
purpose of committing one or more grave offenses, in order to 
obtain directly or indirectly a financial benefit or other 
material benefit.8  The GOR does use other laws in the 
prosecution of trafficking cases, especially laws prohibiting 
pimping.  All of these laws taken together cover the full 
scope of trafficking offenses. 
 
TIP victims have the right to seek a civil remedy and this 
can occur simultaneously with the criminal proceeding, at the 
conclusion of the criminal proceeding or can occur completely 
separate from the criminal case. 
 
B.  Violations of Article 12 of Law no. 678/2001 carry 
sentences of three to twelve years and raise the sentence to 
five to fifteen years for aggravating circumstances.  The 
sentence provided in Article 13 paragraph 1 is from five to 
fifteen years if the victims are below the age of 18.  The 
same article carries terms of seven to eighteen years in case 
of trafficking of minors under certain aggravating 
characteristics such as kidnapping while armed, by a group of 
persons, or causing bodily injury.  If the kidnapping results 
in the death or suicide of the victim, the sentence goes from 
fifteen to 25 years.  Law 678/2001 defines trafficking in two 
articles (12 and 13) and several paragraphs that interact to 
provide a complex set of sentences ranging from three years 
(at a minimum) to 25 (at a maximum).  The sentence is 
dependent on factors such as: number of perpetrators, age of 
the victim, and severity of damage caused to the victim, 
kidnapping or fraud, and if violence or threats were used. 
 
C.  The same penalties awarded in sexual exploitation cases 
are also applied for labor trafficking offenses. 
 
D.  Article 197, which covers rape, carries a sentence of 
three to 10 years, with the penalty raised to five to 15 
years if the act involves any of the following: two or more 
participants; is conducted by the guardian of the rape 
victim; or if severe injuries result.  The penalties go to 10 
to 20 years if the victim is under 14.  If the victim dies or 
commits suicide, the sentence increases to 15 to 25 years. 
These penalties overall are comparable to penalties for sex 
trafficking, as sentences for both range from three to 25 
years. 
 
E.  In Romania, prostitution activities are criminalized, to 
include the activities of brothel owners and pimps.  However, 
there is no law to punish the client, with the exception that 
if the prostitute was a minor and the client admitted knowing 
 
that fact before the act, the client can be prosecuted for 
sexual acts with a minor. 
 
F.  Between January 1, 2006 and December 31, 2006, the courts 
rendered final convictions against 187 persons for committing 
the offence of trafficking in persons. Out of these: 
 
- 5 persons were sentenced to 6-12 months imprisonment 
- 88 persons were sentenced to 1-5 years imprisonment 
- 64 persons were sentenced to 5-10 years imprisonment 
- 7 persons were sentenced to 10-15 years imprisonment 
- 11 persons were sentenced to a penalty for which the 
execution was conditionally suspended 
- 10 persons (1 being a minor) were sentenced to a penalty 
for which the execution was suspended under observation 
- 2 persons were sentenced to a penalty for which the court 
pronounced the execution at the working place. 
 
Under the Romanian Penal Code, an individual serving prison 
time for a TIP offense can be released early from prison if 
two thirds of the sentence has been served and the individual 
has demonstrated significant moral rehabilitation.  The 
Romanian legal system does not provide for plea bargains or 
fines - only imprisonment sanctions are given for TIP 
offenses. 
 
The legal framework encourages the traffickers to collaborate 
within the criminal proceedings. Article 20 from Law no. 
678/2001 provides: &The person who committed one of the 
offences provided by this law and during the criminal lawsuit 
denounces and helps for identification of the other 
participant to the crime, shall benefit by reducing his own 
penalty with a half.8 
In 2006, the Government indicted 780 defendants in 183 files 
for committing TIP offenses. 
 
Labor recruiters are prosecuted under Law no. 678/2001. 
 
G. There is no indication that human trafficking in Romania 
is being conducted by large organized crime syndicates or 
other large international groups; much of the trafficking is 
conducted via small trafficking networks that maintain 
contact with other small criminal groups for this purpose. 
Employment, travel and tourism agencies have been identified 
as fronts for some traffickers; however these were not common 
sources of trafficking.  There is no indication that 
government officials are involved in trafficking activities. 
With respect to the way in which the profits are directed, 
there is no indication that they are destined for the 
financing of various armed groups, terrorist organizations or 
for bribing Romanian officials. 
 
H. The GOR actively investigates TIP cases using a number of 
methods, to include electronic surveillance and undercover 
operations.  The government also uses mitigated punishment 
and/or immunity to encourage suspects to cooperate in TIP 
investigations. 
 
I. Before a TIP case is taken to trial, the prosecutor who 
leads             the criminal investigation in a TIP case is 
the one to establish the working team composed of judiciary 
 
police officers, specialized in countering trafficking in 
persons, border police officers, etc 
 
The monitoring activity aims at getting evidence regarding 
the traffickers, modus operandi any other pertinent 
information and the information is analyzed. 
 
The documentation on the criminal activity also involves 
audio-video operative surveillance measures, authorized by 
judges according to the provisions of the Criminal Procedure 
Code, of Law no. 678/2001 on the prevention and countering of 
trafficking in persons, or of Law. No. 39/2003 regarding the 
prevention and countering of organized crime, as well as the 
placement of undercover investigators/collaborators. 
 
J.  In 2006, Romanian prosecutors collaborated with their 
counterparts from other countries in 61 investigations 
regarding TIP offenses, out of which in 28 cases were 
initiated by foreign judicial authorities and 33 were 
initiated by the Romanian prosecutors. 
 
Also, GDCOC and the Border Police have in many cases worked 
with officers from other European Union countries. 
 
K.  The Romanian government extradites persons who are 
charged with trafficking in other countries, if the legal 
conditions for extradition are fulfilled. In 2006 there was 1 
case of this kind, concerning a Greek citizen, whose 
extradition from Romania was granted to the Greek authorities. 
 
Art. 19 from the Romanian Constitution provides: 
(1) No Romanian citizen shall be extradited or expelled from 
Romania. 
(2) By exemption from the provision of para. (1), Romanian 
citizens can be extradited based on the international 
agreements Romania is a party to according to the law and on 
a mutual basis. 
(3) Aliens and stateless persons may be extradited only in 
compliance with an international convention or in terms of 
reciprocity. 
(4) Expulsion or extradition shall be ruled by the court. 
 
L. There is no evidence of government involvement in or 
tolerance of TIP. 
 
In 2006, the Anti-corruption National Directorate did not 
send to court any governmental official for his/her 
involvement under various forms in trafficking in persons. 
There were government officials suspected of issuing 
identification documents that could have facilitated 
activities related to trafficking, but no direct correlation 
has been made. 
 
M.  Not applicable. 
 
N. Romania does not have an identified child sex tourism 
problem, although the media have reported some incidents of 
sexual abuse of children by foreign nationals visiting 
Romania. Romania,s child sexual abuse laws have 
extra-territorial coverage.  In the past, foreign pedophiles 
were arrested and prosecuted in Romania for child sex 
 
offenses. 
 
In 2006 there were no cases of foreign pedophiles extradited 
to their origin country. 
 
The National Authority for Protection of Children Rights in 
cooperation with MAI, Romanian Hotel Industry Federation, 
Ministry of Transportation, Ministry of Tourism and NGO-s 
made the project &Intersectorial collaboration between 
public and private for prevention of trafficking and sexual 
exploitation in hotel industry and tourism8.  A conduct code 
for protection of children against sexual exploitation in 
tourism industry were expanded and promoted within this 
project. 
 
O.  The Romanian government has signed and ratified the 
following international instruments: 
 
-  ILO Convention 182 (Law 203/2000) 
-  ILO Convention 29 (Decree 213/1957) 
-  ILO Convention 105 (Law 140/1998) 
-  Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the 
Child (CRC) on the sale of children, child prostitution, and 
child pornography (Law 470/2001) 
-  Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in 
Persons, especially Women and Children, supplementing the UN 
Convention Against Transnational Organized Crime (Law 
565/2002) 
 
 
 
4.  (SBU) PROTECTION AND ASSISTANCE TO VICTIMS 
--------------------------------------------- - 
 
A. Under the provision of Law no. 678/2001, victims of 
trafficking shall receive special physical, legal and social 
protection and assistance.  They are also entitled to 
physical, psychological and social recovery.  Upon request, 
TIP victims can receive temporary accommodation in 
governmental shelters for ten days.  The accommodation time 
can be extended by three months or for the entire duration of 
the criminal procedure, upon the request of the criminal 
investigation authority.  Victims of trafficking are also 
covered under the Protection of Crime Victims Law, which 
entered into force in January 2005.  The law specifies that 
Romanian authorities offer: information regarding victims, 
rights; psychological aid; legal aid; and financial 
compensation funded by the GOR.  However, there is no clear 
mechanism that stipulates how these provisions are to be 
applied in practice.  Whether or not a victim receives these 
benefits is dependent upon the service provider,s knowledge 
of the law and a laborious bureaucratic process for 
fulfilling requests.  In 2006, governmental reports mentioned 
at least nine operational state shelters for adult victims of 
trafficking, each providing access to legal, medical and 
psychological services to varying degrees.  However, the 
status of the shelters is continuously changing, as some 
shelters close down and new shelters open. Keeping the 
shelters functioning proved to be a challenge for county 
authorities, who have limited resources for addressing many 
competing social needs. 
 
 
Like the shelters, the degree of services provided by the 
non-residential centers is not uniform.  There is no 
available data regarding the number of victims assisted by 
the non-residential service centers. 
 
In 2006, 476 victims of trafficking were assisted.  This is a 
significant increase compared to 2005, when only 175 victims 
were assisted.  This indicates that aid provided by the GOR 
is reaching more victims than before.  Most of the assistance 
provided in 2006 was in the form of social/legal assistance. 
 
Legal aid and financial assistance is given to victims of 
TIP, as well as to spouses, children and/or others if the 
victim is deceased. 
 
B.  According to the law, NGOs that provide services to TIP 
victims have priority in getting subsidies from the 
government. NGOs also receive support from the government for 
short-term activities, such as training of governmental 
employees, prevention activities, and for addressing specific 
needs of victims, such as issuing the identification 
documents, assistance for finding employment, etc.  In 2006, 
governmental cooperation with NGOs has become more 
consistent. 
 
C. The National Authority for Protection of Child Rights set 
up an identification system for minor victims of trafficking. 
 Some law enforcement agencies have procedures for 
identifying victims of trafficking; however there are no 
national identification standards.  There is no systematic 
screening or effective referral process to transfer victims 
detained, arrested or placed in protective custody by law 
enforcement to NGOs.  Rather the referral process is informal 
and dependent upon whether authorities involved have direct 
contact with NGOs that provide assistance to the victims. 
 
D. According to Romanian law, modified in 2005, victims of 
trafficking who are arrested for prostitution or begging 
cannot be prosecuted for these offenses.  Normally, victims 
that come from other countries are identified prior to their 
repatriation; there are sometimes delays in identifying 
internal victims.  Children are always considered victims in 
relation to trafficking and they are the beneficiaries of 
support and protection according to the Romanian laws. 
 
E.  Contained in Romanian legislation are special provisions 
that provide benefits and protections for victims that assist 
in the investigation and prosecution of trafficking offenses. 
 Many victims do not take advantage of these benefits and are 
often hesitant to provide information against perpetrators of 
trafficking because the victims have little trust that 
Romanian authorities will follow through on their 
commitments.  Prosecutors responsible for TIP cases usually 
keep an objective viewpoint when investigating TIP cases and 
are required to remain unbiased when investigating whether a 
crime took place.  For this reason, TIP victims who provide 
critical information in the investigation and prosecution of 
trafficking offenses normally do not have an advocate when 
providing information. 
 
Victims are able to file civil suits against their 
traffickers as part of the criminal process or as a separate 
civil action.  There are no legal impediments to a victim 
seeking legal redress but the Romanian legal system is 
slow-moving and often victims are not able to remain in the 
location when the investigation/trial is taking place.  There 
is nothing preventing witnesses from leaving the country, and 
foreigners who are victims of trafficking are repatriated at 
the expense of the Romanian government.  The repatriations 
are often as dictated by bilateral treaties which Romania has 
with neighboring and western European countries.  Foreign 
citizens who are victims of trafficking have the right to 
wait 90 days to decide if the would like to cooperate in a 
criminal proceeding.  The victim witness coordination program 
that is outlined in the &best practice8 section of this 
report has begun to address this issue. 
 
F.  The GOR has both formal and informal measures for 
protecting victims and witnesses of trafficking offenses. 
The formal system includes assistance in changing the 
witness,s identity and residence.  This is a specialized 
system that requires a prosecutors, request and an 
assessment based upon criteria used by the witness protection 
unit.  Although these measures have been used to protect 
witnesses in TIP cases in the past, they were not used to 
protect any TIP victims in 2006.  In addition, the victim can 
invoke less formal judicial procedures to assist in 
protecting their identity and reduce their contact with the 
defendant and defendant,s associates while testifying in 
court.  TIP investigators in several counties describe taking 
a personal interest in ensuring the protection of TIP 
victims.  At the same time, individual TIP victims have 
continued to complain about being contacted or harassed by 
traffickers and their associates. 
 
The GOR provides shelter services for both adult and juvenile 
victims of TIP offenses.  There are currently nine 
operational state-sponsored TIP shelters for adult victims. 
The state facilities are emergency shelters and are not 
designed for long-term rehabilitation.  Despite this, they 
offer a full range of medical, psychological, and educational 
services along with social services and employment assistance 
through staff that are most commonly affiliated with broader 
social service programs for children.  Since the state 
shelters are administered through local officials, their 
facilities, services, and relationship to other service 
providers vary.  Upon the request of the prosecutor, victims 
are entitled to remain in the shelter throughout the 
investigation and trial.  Police and prosecutors have a 
statutory obligation to inform victims of the right to go to 
a state shelter and to have access to other services.  In 
practice, investigators report that a majority of victims do 
not want to go to a state shelter.  The interpretation of 
applicable privacy rules often prevents law enforcement from 
placing the victim in a state shelter without the victim,s 
approval.  The best scenario for a trafficking victim who is 
interested in long-term assistance would be to be placed with 
one of the NGOs that support TIP victims who are in a better 
position to provide long-term care for the victim. 
 
Minors who are victims of trafficking have a series of 
 
possible care facilities which include: emergency centers, 
transit centers, the victim,s family with the support of 
social services, foster care, or placement centers.  If a 
child is identified as a victim of trafficking he/she would 
not be placed in a juvenile justice detention center. 
 
In 2006, the Romanian Ministry of Justice1 changed existing 
law to make it easier for TIP victims to testify in court 
cases using video testimony. 
 
G.  Specialized training for GOR officials continued in 2006. 
 
The National Authority for Protection of Child Rights has 
developed partnerships for specialized training from 
international organizations to include: ICMPD, International 
Migration Organization, UNICEF, ILO and local NGOs. 
 
The Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs encourages its 
embassies to foster contacts with NGOs and international 
organizations that are involved in TIP issues.  The training 
received by MFA officers prior to their assignment has some 
applicability in assisting TIP victims, but, specific 
training for MFA officers on TIP issues is limited. 
 
Romania,s diplomatic missions have relationships with 
different NGOs, specialized in providing assistance for 
trafficked victims, especially with IOM (International 
Organization for Migration) for assistance in the voluntary 
return of trafficked victims. 
 
H.  The Romanian government does provide assistance to TIP 
victims who are repatriated.  The victims are repatriated at 
the cost of the government and, if they are identified as a 
TIP victim, they are eligible to receive the same benefits as 
internal victims.  These benefits were described above in 
section A. 
 
I.  In 2006, laws were proposed to increase funding for NGOs. 
 The Romanian government cooperates with the following 
international organizations and NGOs that work on TIP issues: 
 
IOs: 
UNICEF, UNHCR, ANAEM France, IOM, International Labor 
Organization. 
 
NGOs: 
Red Cross - Romania - information education campaigns to 
prevent child trafficking. 
 
Salvati Copii (Save the Children) 
- Activities aiming to prevent trafficking and sexual 
exploitation in the hotel and tourism industries. A group of 
experts developed a code of conduct for hotels and tourism 
industries.  Information materials were produced and 
distributed in hotels and through the tourism agencies. 
- Social assistance and counseling for child victims of 
trafficking. 
- Training for border police, police and social workers on 
interviewing children victims of trafficking. 
 
Caritas - anti-TIP and anti-drug information education 
 
campaigns in schools. 
 
AIDRom - Prevention and training activities for governmental 
and non-governmental representatives to acquire the necessary 
skills for identifying and solving potential situations that 
could lead to trafficking and to establish a network of local 
contacts involved in similar anti-TIP activities. 
 
Young Generation - shelter, social assistance and counseling 
to victims of trafficking 
 
Social Alternatives - prevention activities, anti-trafficking 
newsletter, psychological assistance to victims of 
trafficking 
 
Reaching Out - long-term reintegration services to victims of 
trafficking, social assistance, counseling and shelter 
 
Adpare - shelter, counseling, reintegration services for 
victims and also prevention activities including peer 
education program in Bucharest schools 
 
Betania - social assistance and counseling 
 
Conexiuni - social assistance and counseling 
 
Romanian Orthodox Church - BANITP Metropolitan See - shelter, 
counseling and reintegration services 
 
5.  (SBU) NOMINATION OF HEROES AND BEST PRACTICES 
--------------------------------------------- ---- 
 
A.   TIP Heroes:  Post did not nominate anyone this year as a 
TIP hero. 
 
B.  Best Practice:  One of the biggest challenges in 
prosecuting TIP cases is how to maintain the cooperation of 
the victims throughout the trial process.  In Romania, trials 
are often very long and require the victims to be present in 
the courtroom on multiple occasions.  Furthermore, in the 
Romanian judicial system prosecutors take on the role of 
independent magistrates and therefore are not able to 
identify themselves with the victims.  The ANITP in 2006 
recognized the importance of improving this process and 
decided to use its infrastructure and resources to help 
victims better understand the judicial process and make them 
as comfortable as possible for the duration of the trial.  In 
its latest action plan, the ANITP made victim-witness 
coordination a high and began working with the Embassy,s RLA 
office to move forward.  The first step was to develop a 
system of coordinators who would facilitate contact between 
the victims and the courts.  The coordinators  in the system 
have four responsibilities: (1) to maintain updated contact 
information for the victim and to provide the victim with 
information about the status of the case; (2) to provide the 
victim with general information about the court system in 
order to demystify the trial process and make it less 
intimidating; (3) to provide the victim with logistical 
assistance in getting to court; and (4) to provide the victim 
with information about services available in their region. 
 
6.  (U) Embassy POC is Philip Knecht, at 011-40-21-200-3435, 
Fax 011-40-21-200-3442. The following Embassy personnel spent 
the approximate time indicated in the preparation of this 
report: PolOff Phil Knecht, grade, FS-04, 80 hours; Radu Pop, 
Political Specialist, 50 hours; DOJ Legal Attach, Tim Ohms, 
6 hours; DOJ Legal Assistant, Monica Custura, 6 hours, 
Political Chief, Theodore Tanoue, grade FS-02, 6 hours; DCM, 
Mark Taplin, grade FE-MC, 30 minutes. 
 
7.  (U) Amembassy Bucharest,s reporting telegrams are 
available on the Bucharest SIPRNET Website: 
www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/bucharest. 
TAPLIN