Pilot project on enhancing victims’ willingness to report
Pilot project on enhancing victims’ willingness to report
Filing a report of sexual exploitation is not always straightforward for Dutch victims of sexual exploitation. Often, they are afraid of the trafficker or lack confidence in law enforcement. At the same time, victims reports are often crucial for successful prosecution of the perpetrator(s). For this reason, CKM, at the request of the Dutch police and in collaboration with the Dutch Public Prosecution Service and the judiciary, has worked to make this process less burdensome for victims.
Interventions tested
CKM spokesperson Shamir Ceuleers: “We tested our interventions in 36 cases. The initial results are promising and show that we can make a positive contribution to reducing the burden of the criminal process. At the same time, the criminal process is very complex, and we need more time to make concrete recommendations.” Therefore, CKM together with the police and the Public Prosecution Service have submitted an application for an extension of the pilot project and aim to start the next phase later this year.
Victim Safety First
Fear of retaliation, intimidation, and threats from the trafficker prevent many victims from talking to the police or cooperating in the criminal process. To better support victims, a new role was introduced last year in the North Holland police unit. A “safety coordinator” supports the victim throughout the process and first and foremost prioritizes the safety and sense of security for victims before, during, and after the criminal process. For example, they can arrange for the police to patrol around the victim’s home. They also support victims during their meetings with the police, and during court proceedings.
Paul van Musscher, Chief of The Hague Police: “Human trafficking investigations are a top priority, and reports are important for the police. If victims are too afraid to come forward, the traffickers remain free, which is unacceptable. By prioritizing victims’ safety and sense of security, we hope to reduce the threshold for them to ultimately speak with us and file a report.” In several cases, the safety coordinator’s direct involvement already led victims to feel supported and safer, and more willing to talk to the police or file a report.
Working in a trauma-sensitive manner
The criminal process itself also discourages victims from cooperating. Victims may have to tell their story multiple times and may face challenging questions from the defense during the preliminary hearing. Many victims also suffer from trauma. This combination can lead to feelings of victimization once again, known as secondary victimization.
CKM spokesperson Shamir Ceuleers: “In the pilot, we took these traumas into account by working with examining magistrates experienced in hearing human trafficking victims, as well as with police psychologists who advised on how to interview victims.” Human trafficking investigators report that victims felt freer to share their full story because of this. This benefits both the victim and the criminal process. In the extension CKM, the police, and the Public Prosecution Service have applied for, they aim to test this effect in more cases and to further examine ways to shorten the duration of the criminal process.
More time, greater geographic reach
The police commissioned CKM to conduct the pilot project on victims’ willingness to report, which ran from 2021 to 2022. The one-year operational period proved too short to thoroughly test all interventions. Given the promising initial results, CKM, along with the police and the Public Prosecution Service, has applied for an extension under the government’s Together Against Human Trafficking program.
We are pleased that the importance of the pilot has been recognized and that the intention to enable the extension has been expressed. In the extension, we aim to expand the reach: interventions will be rolled out nationwide within the police, and more regions of the Public Prosecution Service will participate.
More information
Also read: the interview with project leader and researcher Emma Simons on victims’ willingness to report and our 2018 report on barriers to reporting human trafficking to the police (You just don’t report, Aangifte doe je niet, available in Dutch).
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