How a police officer prepares to interview a victim of human trafficking and assess their general health are some of the most important elements in the interview process, discussed at the third workshop organizes by the OSCE Mission to Montenegro with the support of the Ministry of Interior's Department for Combating Human Trafficking. Nineteen police officers participated in this workshop in Bijelo Polje on 18 and 19 September. Previously two workshops were organized in April and May in Budva and Bar.
Opening the event, Toni Škrinjar, Organized Crime Police Adviser for the Mission said that human trafficking is one of the most egregious examples of human rights abuses, operated by organized crime globally that generates enormous amounts of illegal profit. "Patience and empathy are required when interviewing victims to avoid further traumatizing them. Having a sound understanding of the risks to victims, ethical considerations, and the practical realities related to trafficking can help minimize the dangers and increase the likelihood that a victim will disclose relevant and accurate information during the interview," said Škrinjar.
Tijana Šuković, Head of the Ministry's Department for Combating Human Trafficking, stated that in 2022, 52 police officers participated in OSCE-supported training sessions, while this year, 58 participants attended in three workshops. "These training sessions are important and contribute to strengthening co-operation among police professionals on a practical level, to ensure that victims are identified and perpetrators are prosecuted," said Šuković.
These training workshops used guidelines developed with the Mission's support in 2021 for conducting interviews of suspected victims of human trafficking with a standardized set of questions.
The Mission will continue to support Montenegro in implementing the National Strategy for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings 2019-2024 and supporting national authorities to combat human trafficking.
