A LEGAL academic has backed the jailing of a human trafficker in Belfast – even though the victims were found to have been willingly involved.
Hungarian national Matyas Pis was this week sentenced to one-and-a-half years’ imprisonment in Belfast Crown Court for the offences of human trafficking, controlling prostitution and keeping a brothel. He was also sentenced to a further one-and-a-half years out on licence after his custodial sentence.
In a summary of his findings, Judge Burgess said that in 2010/11 Pis had arranged for two Hungarian women to come to Belfast through Dublin Airport to work as prostitutes.
The women “said they asked the defendant to book their air tickets”, Mr Burgess said, and the prosecution accepted that there was “no allegation that the women were brought to, or held in, Northern Ireland against their will or that force or threat of force was made against them”.
Despite this, Mr Burgess said he wanted to take the opportunity to make it “very clear” that anyone who is brought before the courts in Northern Ireland for such offences should expect a custodial sentence, other than in exceptional circumstances. He said that Pis actually got a lighter sentence due to the absence of coercion.
“That sentence will be heavier for those who coerce their victims, who use violence against them, who sexually assault and degrade them and who placed them in fear of their own or their loved ones’ lives,” he said.
Dr Tom Obokata, a senior lecturer in law at Queen’s University Belfast and adviser to the Assembly’s all-party group on trafficking, said that in his personal view it was legally proper for Pis to be jailed.
He said that Section 57 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003 does not require victims to have been brought into the UK forcibly for an offence to have been committed.
“Well, the law says nothing about the mindset of victims,” Dr Obokata said. “But it does touch upon the mindset of traffickers. If a trafficker knows that someone is going to be sexually exploited, then that’s trafficking even if she is not transported with coercion. Presumably this can apply even when a victim knows that she would be a prostitute, provided that trafficker intends her to be exploited.”
However, he slammed the light sentencing of human traffickers in the UK, which he said averaged 4.5 years.
“The starting point for rape sentences is five years and can go up to life imprisonment,” he said.
“This would be a much better starting point to act as a real deterrent to human traffickers.”
He also praised the work of community groups in Northern Ireland which campaign against human trafficking.
“They are gradually making an impact in raising awareness and their efforts are essential – however, this should primarily be the responsibility of government.” he said.
