Human traffickers find AP to be an easy prey

Vijayawada: Human trafficking is increasing worryingly in AP if statistics of the past five years are anything to go by.

A nationwide study of trafficking in people by the National Human Rights Commission of India confirms the trend.  The maximum percentage of interviewed women and children were trafficked from AP (25.9 percent), Karnataka (15 percent), West Bengal (12.5 percent) and Tamil Nadu (12.3 percent).

In most states, intra-state trafficking has become a common phenomenon. It is a misconception that only women and girl children are trafficked as even boys are the victims.

According to a latest study, the conviction rate of traffickers is less than 1 percent. A new study by an NGO states that there is a lot of variation in the statistics maintained by National Crime Records Bureau and the State Crime Records Bureau. NCRB statistics show that human trafficking increased in AP and TS in 2016.

As per the NCRB 2016 report, as many as 882 AP women victims were rescued within the country and one was rescued from Bangladesh.

Of these victims, 736 were trafficked for prostitution, 11 for other forms of sexual exploitation, 36 for domestic servitude, two for forced labour and three were for petty crimes. Of these 882 victim issues, 239 cases were reported, charge sheets were filed by the AP police in 76 cases and the final report was for only three cases.

The conviction rate is dismal, just 1.6 percent, and is not even in double-digits. It is negligible when compared with the actual number of rescued AP women.

Only two cases were convicted by courts, 120 acquitted and trials completed in 122 cases. The report states that in 2016, 599 persons were arrested, 265 were charge-sheeted, two were convicted and 286 discharged by the court.

The report also states that 42.5 percent the missing AP children were not traced till 2016.