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A sex trafficking network has been dismantled in Sofia

Photo: Archive - BGNES

A network trafficking young women for prostitution has been broken up, Nova TV reported. The girls worked in clubs in the capital for a fee of 100 leva (51 euro). The traffickers were involved in recruiting, soliciting, providing sexual services and trafficking. 

"Only 1% of the victims have been rescued, which means that very few of them have tried to contact us," said Diana Kitova, head of a hotline for trafficking victims. A growing number of men are daring to come forward, she said.

"Until recently it was women trafficked, now it's human trafficking. The target groups are changing, the recruitment methods are changing, the countries to which people are sent are changing," said Nadia Kozhuharova, coordinator of human trafficking programmes at Animus Association. She added that while trafficking used to be about sexual exploitation, now it is mostly about working, selling babies and organs, and forced marriages.

Unfortunately, victims often do not recognise themselves as such, they have an emotional relationship with the trafficker and are at his disposal.



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