Since 2008, in Armenia there have been 8 official cases of
trafficking in children, resulted in suffering of 11 youngsters, as declared by
Tatevik Bezhanyan, Director of programs on trafficking and migration, People in
Need, Armenian branch, at the press-conference given on 20 November.

Five of the victims were boys- over 12 year old, who were
engaged in begging; and six of them were girls over 15, four of them were
exploited sexually, one was forced to labor, and one girl was forced to
begging.

According to data, presented by Bezhanyan, all children
had parents, but were coming of socially vulnerable families and attended
special institutions. Two of the cases happened abroad, and the rest -in
Armenia. There are court verdicts on four cases, three cases are at the stage
of court investigation and one is at a preliminary investigation stage.

“Unfortunately, our society still has an accusatory attitude
towards victims of trafficking. So, we believe that victims of trafficking are
to be blamed for being trafficked”, noted Tatevik Bezhanyan and added that the
stereotypes and labels should be fought against to bring victims back to the
society, otherwise, the victims of trafficking risk to be trafficked for the
second time.

“The victims of trafficking need protection and then
rehabilitation and re-integration, especially the youngsters,” emphasized the
director of programs on trafficking and migration.

Mariam Mehrabyan, psychologist, who works with victims of
trafficking, noted that traffickers themselves have a past when as children
they were beaten and neglected: “Today's victims may start trafficking
themselves if they are not re-socialized appropriately.”

Bezhanyan reminded that an ordinary begging- when a child,
at his own initiative, attempts to gain some money- is not considered as
trafficking. Trafficking implies an abuser who takes advantage of a poor
situation of victims and uses methods of enforcing and threatening to earn
money or pursue his own interests.