Two young Ecuadorian men have received stiff jail sentences for
human trafficking in the capital, Quito, with the case representing
only the second successful prosecution of traffickers in the
country.

The judge handed down a 12-year sentence to a 19 year-old male
and a six-year term for his 18-year-old accomplice.

The judicial authorities have confirmed that they are currently
trying to get convictions on 160 cases of human trafficking.

Working with the Public Prosecutor's Office, the Child Welfare
Police and the International Labour Organization (ILO), IOM
provided protection and assistance to the victims and their
families through its Global Emergency Fund. The assistance included
transportation, lodging, medical, legal and psychological support
for the victims and their relatives during the trial in Quito.

The victims, both girls, were 13 and 15 years old when they left
their homes in a small town in Pichincha Province with their
boyfriends who put them to work in the sex industry.

They said they were in love and left home hoping to marry and
have children. During their ordeal, the girls were sexually,
physically and verbally abused. They were given food and shelter,
but this was deducted from their earnings.

The victims testified against the accused but are still
struggling to accept that they were abused and exploited by the men
they loved and trusted.

Their reintegration process, led by the Our Youth Foundation,
has been long and arduous. Dr. Veronica Supliguicha, a psychologist
with the foundation says the girls are still showing signs of the
impact of the abuse. "The healing process is a systematic process
with different actors in which the family and community play a
vital role," she adds.

Although there are no official figures on the number of people
trafficked in Ecuador, there is evidence of trafficking for sexual
exploitation and begging in the country. The majority of the
victims hail from very poor rural backgrounds. Some victims are
trafficked outside the country to large cities in neighbouring
Colombia, Venezuela and Peru.

Since 2005, the IOM office in Ecuador has been working with the
government and other partners to combat human trafficking. Its
trafficking programme, financed by the United States Agency for
International Development (USAID), aims to contribute to the
implementation of a national plan of action to combat human
trafficking and other forms of violence. IOM also provides support
for the national police helpline as part of its efforts to provide
greater protection and assistance to victims.

For more information contact:

Ana Maria Guzman

IOM Quito

Tel: + 22-53-948.49.50

E-mail: "mailto:aguzman@oim.org.ec">aguzman@oim.org.ec