The acquittal rate in human trafficking cases in the country was to the tune of 89% in 2020-2021, which is a matter of concern, Madan B. Lokur, former Supreme Court judge, has said.
Of the 201 cases reported in Kerala last year, there was only one conviction and 19 acquittals, Mr. Lokur said while delivering a special address at the one-day judicial colloquium on anti-human trafficking, organised by the Kerala Judicial Academy here on Sunday.
Listing a few real-life incidents that came up before him, Mr. Lokur said the police often wrongly reported a large number of human trafficking cases as kidnapping, abduction and missing persons cases. Nobody wants to admit that there are cases of human trafficking. Yet, it exists in different forms in the country. It is also prevalent in the cyberworld. Forced marriages, child marriages, bonded labour, and forced migration for economic causes are also instances of human trafficking, he said.
Terming the offence of human trafficking as a crime against humanity, Mr. Lokur said the rehabilitation and re-integration of victims into society were as important as protection, prevention, and prosecution in such cases.
In his inaugural address, A.J. Desai, Chief Justice of the Kerala High Court, pointed out that 2,189 cases of human trafficking had been filed in 2022 in the country, which involved 6,533 victims. Among the victims, 4,062 were women and 2,877 minors, he said.
Human trafficking include sexual exploitation, forced labour, domestic servitude, forced begging, debt bondage, and forcing children or adolescent persons to serve as soldiers against their will. Understanding the root causes is pivotal in addressing human trafficking comprehensively. Factors such as poverty, limited access to education, gender inequality, and unemployment also contributed to human trafficking, he observed.
The fight against human trafficking in India was a complex and multifaceted endeavour that demanded unwavering dedication, he said.
High Court judges P.B. Suresh Kumar, Anu Sivaraman, V.G. Arun, K. Babu, and P.G. Ajithkumar, Sunitha Krishnan, co-founder of the NGO Prajwala, and former police officer P.M. Nair attended.
K.N. Sujith and K. Krishnakumar, Director and Additional Director, Kerala Judicial Academy, respectively, also spoke.
