Specialised anti-trafficking prosecutors meet to further judicial cooperation

On the 28 and 29 of June 2023, the EU Anti-Trafficking Coordinator Diane Schmitt, and Eurojust organised the first in-person meeting of the Focus Group of specialised prosecutors against human trafficking.

The meeting, held at Eurojust premises in The Hague, brought together prosecutors from across the EU to exchange views, experiences and best practices from investigations and prosecutions of complex human trafficking offences. Focus was placed on the need to address the online dimension of human trafficking and to conduct exhaustive financial investigations.

The EU-wide joint Action Days against human trafficking, organised in the framework of the European Multidisciplinary Platform Against Criminal Threats (EMPACT), were also discussed, along with training initiatives carried out by the EU Agency for Law Enforcement Training (CEPOL) and the European Judicial Training Network (EJTN).

The Focus Group of specialised prosecutors against human trafficking, which had held a first exchange online in June 2022, affirmed its intention to continue meeting regularly in view of intensifying cross-border cooperation and improving prosecutions.

As stated by Daniela Buruiana, chair of Eurojust’s Anti-Trafficking Team, and Diane Schmitt, DG HOME’s EU Anti-Trafficking Coordinator, joint cross-border efforts are necessary for the successful investigation, prosecution, and conviction of traffickers as well as the identification and assistance of the victims. In that sense, the collection and exchange of digital and financial evidence, so as not to rely solely on testimonies, are key to fighting trafficking of human beings.