Namibian Police Deputy Inspector General of Operations Oscar Embubulu said a lack of proper facilities to accommodate victims of human trafficking and their families is one of the challenges the police face.
Embubulu made these comments yesterday during the commemoration of the World Day against Trafficking in Persons in the capital, under the theme ‘Committed to the cause – working on the front line to end human trafficking.’
He said the police are determined to disrupt and frustrate the intent and capabilities of criminal syndicates and individual perpetrators that continuously exploit and grow illicit enterprises for criminal gain, but a robust approach by all stakeholders is needed to address the challenges police and prosecuting authorities face in securing justice for the victims of trafficked persons.
“The lack of resources to carry out educational programmes to have a better understanding by law enforcers, stakeholders, the community and victims themselves of the elements of the crime.
Lack of resources to acquire more intensive training on trafficking of persons, improve investigation skills and delays in obtaining evidence from other countries,” said Embubulu.
He added that currently, the police have 48 registered cases of human trafficking under investigation, although the statistics may not necessarily be reflective of the entire reality on the ground because some cases go unreported.
“Last year, we reported that the Namibian Police had identified a trend of trafficking in persons between Angola and Namibia, where young Angolan boys and girls were being recruited by either Angolan nationals in Angola or Namibians who travelled to Angola to recruit them for employment in Namibia as cattle herders or domestic workers,” said Embubulu.
Prosecutor General Martha Imalwa, who also spoke at the occasion, said it is not easy to finalise cases of human trafficking, because sometimes it involves vulnerable witnesses who might need extra protection and sometimes accused persons cause delays to their trials by firing their lawyers at the last minute.
“Fair trial rights are entrenched in our constitution and as much as courts have to consider the interests of justice and those of victims of crime, they also have to take the interests of the accused into account in whatever decision they make,” said Imalwa.
– Nampa