SIPA

This morning (2/4/2015) – Police officials of the State Investigation and Protection Agency arrested the individual identified by initials AO (1968) in the area of Bihać due to grounded suspicion of having committed the criminal offence under Article 186 of the CC B&H “Trafficking in Human Beings” and searched the facilities used by the suspect with the aim of finding items and traces that may serve as evidence in further proceedings. These activities were carried out by orders of the Court B&H and Prosecutor’s Office B&H.

During investigative activities, it was found that AO "bought" and held the victim of human trafficking in servitude for over two years and by the use of force or other forms of coercion forced her to beg and bring him the money obtained in that way, thereby committing the criminal offence of human trafficking for labour exploitation. The victim is an adult female person with mild mental retardation. The suspect exposed the victim to constant physical, psychological and sexual violence while her disobedience was punished in the cruellest way possible.

In the previous period, SIPA in this case submitted a report on the committed criminal offence and several perpetrators to the Prosecutor's Office B&H. The investigation revealed the illegal activities of the suspects while the human trafficking victim received adequate care.

Following criminal processing in SIPA premises, the arrested individual will be handed over to the Prosecutor’s Office B&H for further proceedings. SIPA will continue the activities in this case.

Within its competence, SIPA, in cooperation with the Prosecutor’s Office B&H and Task Force for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings, will continue activities aimed at preventing, detecting and evidencing this type of crime, which is often said to be a modern form of slavery. This type of crime violates the fundamental human rights and destroys the dignity of the victims, even a long time after the exploitation ends.