(Research) Human trafficking and sexual exploitation at the intersection with ICT in Paraguay – TEDIC

This report demonstrates, through a range of evidence gathered from public sources and the empirical experience of government officials, that the use of information and communication technologies (ICT) for the recruitment of victims of trafficking in human beings, with particular emphasis on cases of trafficking for sexual exploitation and online sexual exploitation, is prevalent in our country and requires the attention of policymakers for a frontal and evidence-based fight against this scourge.

Key findings include the following:
◆ Although the Public Prosecution Service, the Ministry of Youth and Adolescence, the Ministry of Women’s Affairs and the National Police have insight and knowledge about the role of ICT in recruiting victims of human trafficking, there are no processes for collecting information and data that can quantify the prevalence of the phenomenon of human trafficking in connection with ICT.
◆ The current response capacity of public institutions involved in the fight against trafficking in human beings and sexual exploitation is generally insufficient and for a number of reasons related to territorial presence throughout the country and lack of resources. Such inadequacy is also evident with regard to the technological component for a proper protection and recovery of victims that is comprehensive to their experience.
◆ This report reiterates the urgent need to adopt a comprehensive Personal Data Protection Law in Paraguay, to guide training strategies across the country and help people understand the value of the information they make available online and to improve their digital security skills.
◆ Strategies for training and prevention of the dangers of using technology are currently insufficient and/or almost non-existent in the educational sphere. In addition to the need for certain updates to the legal framework on human trafficking, government officials stress the need for greater prevention policies to prevent the occurrence of human trafficking and sexual exploitation online and offline.
◆ In relation to the current legal framework in place, a major challenge is to move beyond the current criminalisation of trafficking in human beings, which currently inevitably involves the verification of the stages of recruitment, transfer and exploitation of victims. ICTs only eliminate the transfer stage and redefine recruitment and exploitation. Therefore, cases of technology-facilitated trafficking in human beings (TFT) must be included in the current legal framework for effective protection and redress of victims at all stages of exploitation.

This material was prepared by the Luna Nueva Group within the framework of the project: “Adolescents, youth and women protected from sexual violence with emphasis on CSEC and human trafficking in Asuncion and the department of Itapua” (Project 2022/PRYC/000697), developed by the non-governmental organization Grupo Luna Nueva of Paraguay and the Asociación de Investigación y Especialización sobre Temas Iberoamericanos-AIETI, of Spain, and financed by the Spanish Agency for International Cooperation and Development-AECID.

Research coordination: Eduardo Carrillo
Associated researchers: Jazmin Sánchez, Jazmin Duarte and María José Durán.
Research assistance: Pamela Peralta and Antonia Bogado.