Trafficking in human beings: Portuguese magistrates’ perceptions

Authors: Lourenço, Eliana; Gonçalves, Mariana & Matos, Marlene

Abstract: Trafficking in human beings (THB) has been gaining prominence in the political agendas of governments, both nationally and internationally. The fight against this crime involves the entire justice system with it being the job of the police, prosecutors, and magistrates to investigate, try, and convict the violators accordingly. The objective of this study was to access the perceptions of the magistrates regarding the phenomenon, in general, and the legislation and the Portuguese situation, more specifically, including the perceptions of the victims and the traffickers. To this end, a questionnaire on THB was disseminated online. The sample comprised 167 magistrates practicing in Portugal. The results revealed that, on average, the magistrates espoused adequate perceptions about this phenomenon. In addition, it was concluded that the magistrates who presented more acceptable perceptions were those who consolidated their professional practice with information obtained through formal and informal contacts and experiences with those involved in or victims of human trafficking. Nonetheless, there are gaps regarding their perceptions about human trafficking that could be filled with the development of sensitization and training adjusted to the target populations.

Keywords: Magistrates, perceptions, Trafficking in human beings (THB)