Trafficking in Women for the Purpose of Sexual Exploitation on the Territory of the Former Yugoslavia

Trafficking in women for the purpose of sexual exploitation as a means of sexual enslavement is one of the most frequent and acutest forms of organised crime on the territory of the six republics of the former Yugoslavia. Geopolitically, this area is part of South-Eastern Europe, which belongs to the main sources of trafficking in women in the world according to the dynamics and volume of the exploitation, and its figures can be compared only to Asia. Although in the context of South-Eastern Europe figures reach the level of 120,000 victims per year, this number is bigger considering the well-organised (mostly international) criminal network, which easily escapes judicial bodies, and the disinclination of victims to willingly speak about their traumas. The complexity of the problem is especially evident on the territory of the former Yugoslavia, which intensified some existing and created some new forms of women discrimination during the chaotic war and post-war period in the last decade of the 20th century. Impoverished economy, unemployment, under-representation of women in various aspects of life, the rapid increase of crime and violence, and the lack of effective control and sanctions over perpetrators of criminal offences are only some of the consequences which have negatively influenced the position of women and contributed to the spreading of trafficking in women for the purpose of sexual exploitation. Despite of efforts to implement international standards for the suppression of trafficking and accordingly, to articulate efficient national legislation, the countries are still facing problems related to fighting this increasing form of organised crime. The so-called trichotomy of the region significantly contributes to it: this area is at the same time a place of recruiting women victims of trafficking, their transitional area and final destination. The authors of the paper aim to indicate existing forms and characteristics of trafficking in women for the purpose of sexual exploitation in transitional societies of the former Yugoslavia (primarily, causes and effects) and legal solutions for this problem both de lege lata and de lege ferenda.