Great human trade in Bern: 146 women from China exploited!

Great human trade in Bern: 146 women from China exploited!

Bern, Schweiz - The Bernese cantonal police have uncovered one of the largest and most shocking cases of human trafficking in Switzerland. More than 146 women, mostly from China, have been forced to sex work for years. The police are now faced with the challenge of bringing the complex case to trial, in which five people are accused of accusing women under false promises to Switzerland and then exploited them. The first steps for the indictment have already been initiated. Nachrichten.at reported that they had to live in private apartments, where they hardly had the opportunity to leave the house.

The women were not only physically isolated, but also financially caught. They had to hand in half of their income to the alleged perpetrators, while they had to remove debts with the remaining money and finance their livelihood. The perpetrators themselves also conducted the negotiations with the clients, which further worsened the situation of women. Reto Waldmeier, head of special search 4 of the Bernese cantonal police, expressed the difficult situation: "Many victims do not show any physical traces or do not turn to the police." The fears of women, who often support their families financially at home, reinforce the problem; They are afraid of reprisals of the perpetrators or the loss of their only source of income.

challenges in the fight against human trafficking

Security Director Philippe Müller (FDP) emphasized the structural weaknesses in the fight against human trafficking. He explains that data protection is an important hurdle for the investigation; The exchange with foreign authorities is often easier than between the Swiss cantons. This and the small number of convictions make it difficult for the authorities to work effectively. Since 2008, only 41 convictions for human trade have been spotted in the canton of Bern, with most cases concerned with sexual exploitation. However, the focus was also on other industries such as agriculture, construction and private households. SRF notes that the combat is also difficult to fight.

Attorney General Annatina Schultz calls for a more precise Definition of the facts in the Criminal Code. The existing article allows too many interpretations, which prevents proper persecution of the perpetrators. The authorities agree that it is urgently needed to create better legal foundations and opportunities to exchange data in order to act effectively against human trafficking.