OSCE Mission to Montenegro supports development of questionnaire for police officers interviewing trafficking in human beings victims
Building on previous work supporting the Ministry of Interior and Police Directorate in combating trafficking in human beings, the OSCE Mission to Montenegro organized a two-day workshop to support the drafting of guidelines for police officers when conducting interviews with persons suspected of being trafficked on 19 and 20 October 2021 in Podgorica.
In 2018 and 2019, the Mission supported the development of the “Guidelines on general principles regarding non-punishment provision for THB victims” for judges, prosecutors and police officers, and the Strategy for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings 2019-2024 with 2019 Action Plan.
Approximately 20 practitioners from national law-enforcement agencies worked with an expert to finalize the guidelines, which include a standardized set of questions for police officers conducting interviews with trafficked victims. This uniform approach should enhance the law-enforcement officers’ ability to identify victims and ensure that their rights are respected.
Opening the workshop, Stephen Harmon, the Mission’s Security and Co-operation Programme Manager, said that patience and empathy are required when interviewing trafficked victims, to avoid further traumatizing them. “Having a sound understanding of the risks to victims, ethical considerations, and practical realities related to trafficking can help minimize the dangers and increase the likelihood that a victim will disclose relevant and accurate information during the interview,” said Harmon.
Nikola Terzić, adviser to the Minister of Interior and Head of the Coordination Body for Trafficking in Human Beings Strategy implementation, thanked the Mission for this process and stressed the importance of this topic and of training those officers who conduct interviews with potential trafficked victims.
The Mission will continue supporting national authorities in enhancing their capacities to prevent and combat trafficking in human beings.