Sir, - The Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Mr John O'Donoghue TD, has asked me to refer to the article entitled "Women sold into sexual slavery here" (The Irish Times, July 4th) and to calls made for legislation to criminalise those who traffic in persons for the purpose of their sexual exploitation.
The Minister has taken a number of legislative measures to protect persons, particularly vulnerable persons, from all forms of sexual abuse and sexual exploitation. First, the Child Trafficking and Pornography Act, 1998 contains a number of measures for the protection of children against sexual exploitation, the most important being the creation of an office of trafficking in persons under 17 years into, through or out of Ireland for the purposes of sexual exploitation. This offence is punishable by up to life imprisonment.
Further strong measures are included in the illegal immigrants (Trafficking) Bill, 1999 (the subject of an Article 26 reference to the Supreme Court in relation to some of the non-trafficking provisions of the Bill. This Bill creates an offence of trafficking in illegal immigrants and provides that any such offences will be punishable by up to 10 years' imprisonment.
While the offence of trafficking in illegal immigrants could include cases of trafficking in such persons for their sexual exploitation, nevertheless, the Minister also intends to bring forward legislative proposals, as soon as possible, which will create a new offence of trafficking in adults specifically for the purpose of their sexual exploitation.
In addition to the measures outlined, it is important that your readers will be aware that Ireland fully participates in the work of the Europol Police Office in the Hague, the primary role of which is to facilitate the exchange of information and intelligence between police forces in the European Union. Europol's mandate includes crimes involving illegal immigration networks and trafficking in human beings. Ireland, along with other EU Member States, has Garda liaison officers posted to Europol. In addition to Europol, Garda liaison officers are based in the Hague and Madrid and additional liaison officers will be placed in London and Paris. - Yours, etc.,
Alan Mulligan, Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform, St Stephen's Green, Dublin 2.
