Interior Ministry: 35 Victims of Human Trafficking in First Half of 2025

Bratislava, 2 August (TASR) - A total of 35 victims of human-trafficking were identified in Slovakia in the first half of 2025, most of them (23) being women, Interior Ministry spokesperson Matej Neumann told TASR earlier this week on the occasion of the World Day Against Trafficking in Persons. The ages of the victims spanned from 8 to 68 years, with the most frequent reasons being sexual exploitation, forced labour, begging and, in one case, slavery. "The perpetrators often take the advantage of victims' vulnerabilities, especially their poor social situation when they struggle to find work, or family disagreements, or their desire for new experiences. The first-contact perpetrator is typically familiar with the victim's situation and, in the vast majority of cases, recruitment takes place in person," said Neumann. The police have recorded 21 cases in which criminal proceedings have been initiated since the beginning of the year. In six cases, the perpetrators were charged on as many as ten counts in total. Among those charged were three people aged between 14 and 16. Neumann said that thirteen people, ten of whom were women, were included in the victim assistance programme from the beginning of the year until 18 July. With a view to raising awareness of the seriousness of human-trafficking while promoting the protection of victims, as well as international efforts to combat crime, July 30 was designated by the United Nations as the World Day Against Trafficking in Persons, noted Neumann. jrg/df/ko/mf