Police detain 3 for child trafficking in Tbilisi
The MIA said that among the detainees are the sister of the minor, a pimp and a taxi driver. Photo: shutterstock.
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Police have detained three individuals for child trafficking in Tbilisi, reports the Georgian Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA).
The investigation has revealed that the detainees, only identified as M.P., M.G., and V.K., have been forcing a minor, 15, to provide sexual service to clients.
The Georgian Interior Ministry has released a video of detention:
The MIA said that among the detainees are the sister of the minor, a pimp and a taxi driver.
The crime is punishable by eight to 12 years in prison.
A criminal group involving 11 individuals have been identified and detained on charges of children trafficking and making child pornography in a joint operation of Georgian, US, Australian law enforcers and Europol. One American and one Australian citizen are among the detainees, while others are citizens of Georgia, including the parents and relatives of the affected children.
The lawyer of Ukrainian national Yulia Suslyak, who was arrested in April and later released by Georgian police in July for alleged child trafficking, says that his client is suffering from psychological issues. Lawyer Zurab Todua says that Suslyak is currently undergoing psychological rehab in the Ukrainian town of Khmelnytskyi. He said medical experts have confirmed that Suslyak is suffering from psychological issues.
For the first time Georgia has been named among a group of nations that best combat human trafficking and whose governments fully comply with the Torture Victims Protection Act (TVPA).
The Council of Europe’s (CoE) anti-trafficking expert group (GRETA) has today revealed its second evaluation report, which states Georgia has made vast progress to reduce illegal human trafficking.
Police have detained a Moldovan citizen for violence against her husband and children in the Georgian capital of Tbilisi. The individual, identified only as M.Sh., and born in 1986, verbally and physically abused her husband and children.
Seven individuals, including a mother and two doctors, have been detained by Georgian law enforcers for child trafficking. The detainees attempted to sell a newborn child for $13,000, the investigative department of the Ministry of Finance of Georgia reported today.The ministry reports that during pregnancy the detainees found an individual who wanted the child and was ready to pay the money.
Negotiations are underway for ten individuals detained for child trafficking and child pornography in September 2019 to sign a plea bargain.
The US Department of States has released its Trafficking in Persons report for 2020 in which Georgia remains in Tier 1, along with the US, UK, Switzerland and others, for fully meeting minimum standards for the elimination of human trafficking. Georgia is the only Eastern Partnership state in Tier 1. “The Georgian government continued to demonstrate serious and sustained efforts during the reporting period; therefore Georgia remained in Tier 1. These efforts included increasing overall prosecution and victim protection efforts."