Human trafficking and rapist registry bills move forward in Upper House

Two bills to fight against human trafficking and to create a national bank of genetic data linked to crimes against sexual integrity move forward in the Upper House.

Both bills count with the ruling of the Justice and Penal issues committees and will be included in the Senator’s next debate, which will take place on Wednesday.

One of the bills seeks to modify the current human trafficking law, by adding a series of rights that the State should guarantee to victims. Whoever was subjected to human trafficking and sexual slavery will be entitled to free psychological and medical assistance, help and assistance to get a job, and protection against any form of reprisal against them and be included in he national witness protection programme.

Likewise, the bill seeks to create the Federal Council of Fight against Human Trafficking, which would function within the Cabinet Chief’s office.

While talking to reporters, Justice and Legal issues committee president Sonia Escudero said that the bill incorporates the Labour Ministry within the Federal Council, because “human trafficking is usually linked to prostitution, but it also includes slave work.”

The bill also eliminates the distinction of underage and adult victims in cases in which the victim has given consent.

A new bill seeks to create a national bank of genetic data linked to crimes against sexual integrity, with the aim of making probes into rapes and sexual assaults. In rape cases, the new bank will have to facilitate the identification of those responsible of the attack.