Trafficking in humans beings in criminal law and judicial practice

Straipsnyje nagrinėjama prekybos žmonėmis nusikaltimo samprata, jos teisinė prigimtis ir evoliucija tarptautinėje ir Europos Sąjungos teisėje. Daugiausia dėmesio straipsnyje skiriama prekybos žmonėmis apibrėžimams, pateiktiems 2000 m. lapkričio 15 d. priimtame JTO konvenciją prieš tarptautinį nusikalstamumą papildančiame protokole „ Dėl prekybos žmonėmis, ypač moterimis ir vaikais, prevencijos, sustabdymo bei baudimo už vertimąsi ja "ir2002 m. liepos 19 d. priimtame Europos Sąjungos Tarybos sprendime dėl kovos su prekyba žmonėmis. Straipsnyje taip pat analizuojama prekybos žmonėmis norma Lietuvos Respublikos baudžiamajame kodekse (toliau LR BK) ir teismų praktikos taikant šią normą pavyzdžiai.The article deals with the crime of trafficking in humans. This crime is considered not only as an example of criminalized conduct, but also as a big social problem on a world scale. Lithuania belongs to the countries where trafficking in humans manifests itself in recruiting and involving young women into the sexual exploitation. A big number of them are being illegally exported to the West. Despite the fact of spreading of the phenomenon, during the last five years only twelve such criminal cases have been still successfully proved in court. This situation came into being due both the difficulties in finding evidence and incorrect understanding of the content of the norm of trafficking. The author examines the norm on trafficking in persons in several aspects. First of all the author overviews the evolution of the notion of trafficking in humans in international and European Law, then presents the most important modern acts on this issue, which obligates the Republic of Lithuania to change the national criminal legislation. A particular attention is paid to the November 15, 2000 Protocol to Prevent. Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, especially Women and Children, which supplements the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and July 19, 2002 EU Council Framework Decision on Combating Trafficking in Human Beings. The next part of the article is destined to the content of the norm of trafficking in persons in Criminal code of Republic of Lithuania and its application in judicial practise. The author presents both negative and positive examples of court's verdicts in trafficking cases. As examples of good practice can be mentioned those court's verdicts where in the motivation part the reference to the United Nations November 15, 2000 Protocol on Trafficking in Persons has been done. In some cases the Vilnius regional court has motivated in this way why the consent of the victim to be trafficked is to be irrelevant. The last part of the article deals with the question of reforming the norm on trafficking in accordance with the requirements of the international and European Law. The author gives some proposals on this issue. In particular, the author offers these examples of norms on trafficking: Article 147. Trafficking in humans 1. Any person who with a view of exploitation recruited, transported, bought, sold or in any other way alienated or acquired of a person, shall be liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 8 years. 2. For committed deed, envisaged in part I of this article, liability shall similarly be incurred by legal persons. Article 157. Trafficking in children 1. Any person who with a view of exploitation recruited, transported, bought, sold or in any other way alienated or acquired of a child, shall be liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 10 years. 2. For committed deed, envisaged in part 1 of this article, liability shall similarly be incurred by legal persons