ZAGREB HOSTS SEMINAR ON TRAFFICKING IN HUMANS

ZAGREB, Jan 23 (Hina) - Representatives of the Croatian government said on Thursday they would deal with the organisers of human trafficking, which is becoming a serious problem in Croatia, in the harshest way, through legislation and other measures. #L# "The government will energetically oppose this form of crime and changes to penal legislation go in that direction," Justice Minister Ingrid Anticevic-Marinovic said at a seminar on trafficking in humans. The seminar for judges and public prosecutors was organised by the Justice Ministry, the U.S. and Canadian embassies, the Croatian Bar Association, and the ROSA Centre for Women. Anticevic-Marinovic announced that the Penal Code would explicitly note this as a punishable act instead of the current solution by which it was treated as a form of slavery. It is estimated that there about four million victims of human trafficking each year, mostly women and children. They come from poor countries rife with social, war and economic misfortune. Even though there is no reliable data on the extent of this type of trafficking in Croatia, some indicators show that Croatia, from a transit country, is quickly becoming a country of origin or final destination for victims. (hina) sp/ha sb