I posted the links - not to have an argument or score points, just to show that there have been convictions for trafficking in Northern Ireland recently.
Mr Pis was convicted under the trafficking legislation. Although the women in the case said they were not held against their will, the judge mentioned Mr Pis' active involvement in their prostitution and level of financial gain in sentencing him.
He did plead guilty to trafficking 2 persons into the uk for the purposes of sexual exploitation
http://ec.europa.eu/anti-trafficking...Matyas+Pis.pdf
The incident referred to in Armagh involved a woman who was abducted and held for 28 hours during which time she was beaten and gang raped by a number of Lithuanian men and was quite widely reported .
http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/su...?service=Print
We are very familiar in Northern Ireland with a culture where organised paramilitary gangs operate within local communities. Historically its common knowledge that on both sides they have been involved in controlling prostitution/ drugs /money laundering and the list is endless.
How can you ask people to give evidence against these gangs when their families lives would be put at risk? To quote a well known local politician " they havent gone away you know"
The same goes for these other gangs that operate from Asia, Africa and Europe into Ireland and Northern Ireland.
All I can do is hope that the systems and networks will be put in place so that victims will be supported and the offenders punished effectively.