Identification
Who is responsible for identifying a victim of human trafficking?
In Latvia, the first responders nor the idea of a “presumed victim” are not explicitly defined in the legislation or other regulations. In practice, the identification is done either by the State Police or service providers, such as Centre MARTA or Shelter “Safe House”.
The State Police identifies a victim during the criminal process. The identified victim is then redirected to the service providers. If the victim does not want to get involved in the criminal proceeding, the person can still receive social rehabilitation by turning to service providers.
Service providers can identify a person as a victim of human trafficking in accordance with Regulations Regarding the Procedures by Which the Victims of the Trafficking in Human Beings Receive Social Rehabilitation Service, and the Criteria for the Recognition of a Person as a Victim of the Trafficking in Human Beings (2019). The identification is preceded by either 1) a request of the person or their lawful representative to grant the support or 2) the statement of the law enforcement authority.
Depending on the situation of the person, the service provider can interview the presumed victim or their lawful representative prior to the identification. The identification is done by a commission of specialists, set by the service provider (para 9-10 of the Regulations). If the victim is referred by the police, no identification interview is conducted.
The criteria for the identification is set out in Annex 2 of the Regulations.
Special procedures for identification of a child victim of human trafficking
The process of identification of a child is similar to the general identification process for a victim of human trafficking in Latvia, with few exceptions. The identification of a child victim must be carried out in a child friendly manner. Only specialists trained to work with children can work with child victims. In addition, a parent, a legal guardian or a legal representative must be involved in the identification process, for instance the interview cannot happen without their permission.
National hotlines for victims of human trafficking
Latvia has two hotlines for victims of human trafficking:
- 24/7 hotline for consultation and help in cases of human trafficking (+371) 28612120. This hotline is maintained by the shelter “Safe House”, Lāčpleša Street 75 -1B, Riga, phone: (+371) 67898343, (+371) 28612120, e-mail: [email protected], www.patverums-dm.lv
- Association “Centrs MARTA”, Matīsa iela 49 – 3, phone: (+371) 67378539 (only available on working days), e-mail: [email protected], www.marta.lv
Both hotlines work with all victims, including children. The general support hotline for children and adolescents 116111, can also be consulted in human trafficking cases and it has the ability to refer human trafficking cases.