 On 26-27 August 2010 the Center for the Study of Democracy (CSD) in cooperation with Utrecht University (Netherlands) organized an expert meeting entitled Human Trafficking for the Sex Industry: who profits. The Dutch representatives, Prof. Dr. Dina Siegel, Mrs. Annemarieke Beijer and Dr. Brenda C. Oude Breuil presented their current projects related to human trafficking touching upon the legal and ethnographic aspects of the problem. Mr. Martijn Elgersma, Deputy Chief of Mission of the Dutch Embassy in Sofia, shared the experience of the Dutch Embassy and Dutch law-enforcement authorities in combating trafficking in human beings and the cooperation with their Bulgarian partners. Ms. Antoaneta Vassileva, Head of the National Anti-trafficking Commission, presented the results of a study, commissioned by the National Anti-trafficking Commission, and  conducted among women in Varna and Sliven. Ms. Ani Torozova, Animus Foundation, Ms. Rossanka Venelinova, Nadya Center and experts from the Pazardjik based Crime Prevention Fund discussed how the image of the stereotypical “perpetrator” and “victim” has changed, as well as who actually profits from prostitution and trafficking in human beings. The Bulgarian experts also shared information on their activities and experience from working with victims and offenders. Mr. Philip Gounev , Research Fellow at CSD, presented CSD’s research on trafficking, focusing on the issue of profits from trafficking. Mr. Tihomir Bezlov, Senior Analyst at CSD, presented the National Crime Survey with a special focus on the prostitution market and the regional specifics. Future plans for research cooperation were the highlights of the second day. |
