Article contents
Criminal Victims/Witnesses of Crimes: The Criminal Offences of Smuggling and Trafficking of Human Beings in Germany, Discretionary Residence Rights, and Other Ways of Protecting Victims
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 06 March 2019
Extract
In the crusade against organized crime, it has become more and more accepted that the often trans-border crime cannot sufficiently be tackled by enhanced enforcement and cooperation between states alone. An alternative tool may be what can be termed the instrumentalization of the victims to enable the prosecution of organized criminals. This brings to the fore the dilemma that the victims are often themselves offenders, as a rule, breaching provisions of immigration law. Therefore, it is typically not in their interest to bring offences of trafficking and smuggling, of which they are the victims, to the attention of the authorities. Initiatives at the international and EU/EC level, which grant limited residence rights to those victims who collaborate in the prosecution of the offenders, attempt to deal with this conflict of interest. This implies at least a partial recognition of the status of the victim.
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References
1 On the international level, see the UN Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children, supplementing the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime, UN Doc. A/55/383, p. 53 (2000). Art. 7 of this instrument reflects the idea of a residence permit to victims of trafficking. The further Protocol against the Smuggling of Migrants by Land, Sea and Air, UN Doc. A/55/383, p. 62 (2000) does not contain any provision concerning residence rights.Google Scholar
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176 BGH, 9 NStZ-RR 233 (2004); judgment of 20 June 2002, 3 StR 135/01. According to the statistics of trafficking victims in the Land of Northrhine-Westphalia in the year 2002, 22 women out of 203 victims in total already practiced prostitution in their home countries, see LKA NRW, Lagebild Menschenhandel Nordrhein-Westfalen,13, 18 (2002).Google Scholar
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180 As in BGH, judgment of 20 June 2002, 3StR 135/01.Google Scholar
181 BT Drs. 15/3045, p. 8.Google Scholar
182 Discussion in BGH, judgment of 27 May 2004, 3 StR 500/03, but left open (tendency to answer in the negative as these acts were not considered to be sufficiently separate forms of prostitution to amount to more intensive forms, except in the case of sexually transmitted diseases).Google Scholar
183 BT Drs. 15/4048, p. 12.Google Scholar
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185 This means an increase in the sanction (previously up to five years of fine) which was at least influenced by the requirements of the EU Framework Decision to provide – under certain circumstances – for a maxium sanction of at least eight years imprisonment, see BT Drs. 15/4048, p. 12. As a consequence, there was no need anymore to separately codify aggravating circumstances which were previously contained in § 180b (2) StGB (old).Google Scholar
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187 § 234 StGB, crime, minimum of one year imprisonment (maximum ten years).Google Scholar
188 §§ 239a, 239b StGB.Google Scholar
189 §§ 235, 236 StGB, respectively. Note that trafficking of children into sexual exploitation is a crime subject to more severe sanctions under § 232 (3) no. 1 StGB.Google Scholar
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191 Results from the EU Framework Decision, see BT Drs. 15/3045, p. 9.Google Scholar
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196 §§ 232 (2), 23 (1) StGB.Google Scholar
197 See § 15 StGB. Hofmann, supra note 26, at 380.Google Scholar
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205 § 95 (5) AufenthG.Google Scholar
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211 Strafbefehl, § 407 StPO.Google Scholar
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225 No. 42.3.2 of the Guidelines (Allgemeine Verwaltungsvorschriften zum Ausländerrecht), Bundesanzeiger, Beilage Nr. 188a of 6 October 2000.Google Scholar
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234 Id. Incidentally, it would make an interesting empirical study to find out how far the prosecution makes use of these special responsibilities.Google Scholar
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252 Schur, supra note 126, at 171.Google Scholar
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260 Zeugenschutz.Google Scholar
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266 Renzikowski, supra note 222. For recent data, see BKA, Lagebild Menschenhandel 16 (2002), available online. Out of a total number of 811 victims of trafficking, 17 % where deported, 27.5% were expelled, 16.3 % received a tolerance permit, 23.9 % returned voluntarily, and 5.5 % entered a witness protection program. The whereabouts of 21.1 % was unknown; see also Thoma, supra note 175, at 27.Google Scholar
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