U.S. Department of State 2006 Trafficking in Persons Report - Mauritius

Mauritius (Tier 2)

Mauritius is a source country for children internally trafficked for the purpose of sexual exploitation. The scope of the trafficking problem is limited to children engaged in prostitution, though numbers of these child trafficking victims are estimated to be in the hundreds. Increases in prostitution are likely the result of school girls engaging in prostitution, possibly with the support of their peers. Other children may be introduced into prostitution through older female family members. Taxi drivers are reported to provide transportation and introductions to both the girls and the clients.

The Government of Mauritius does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; however, it is making significant efforts to do so. To enhance its anti-trafficking efforts, the government should advance comprehensive anti-trafficking legislation, provide additional police training in detecting and responding to instances of trafficking in persons, and expand public awareness-raising efforts on the dangers of children engaging in prostitution.

Prosecution

Mauritius' anti-trafficking law enforcement efforts increased dramatically over the reporting period. In December, the National Assembly passed the 2005 Child Protection Bill which contained comprehensive anti-child trafficking provisions. Funding was granted to increase the manpower and mobility of the Minors Brigade – the police unit responsible for investigating cases of children in prostitution – from five to 25 officers and from one to five vehicles. Despite these additional resources and more vigorous investigations, law enforcement experienced difficulty arresting traffickers. Police conducted numerous raids on clubs and bungalows in Grand Baie, a tourist area where children in prostitution are rumored to be present. During the arrests of females in prostitution, no children were found to be involved. Through other efforts, though, at least six individual perpetrators of child prostitution were arrested and prosecuted during 2005. However, in the absence of an anti-trafficking law at the time of their court appearances, they were prosecuted under lesser criminal offenses; the outcomes of these prosecutions are unknown. In late 2005, a prostitution and child pornography ring was uncovered; the police were unable to find any links to child prostitution. There were no reported investigations or prosecutions of public officials for complicity in trafficking during the reporting period.

Protection

Mauritius improved the publicizing of its available victim services. Although victim protection services are readily available in Mauritius, the government has been hindered, despite increased public awareness and notable law enforcement efforts, in actually providing services to significant numbers of victims by an inability to locate children in prostitution. During the period, it assisted 19 victims of child commercial sexual exploitation by providing counseling at a government-operated child drop-in center, and referred victims in need of housing to government-funded NGO shelters for abused children. The center promoted its services through bumper stickers, a toll-free number, and community outreach. To provide even greater protection for trafficking victims, a fulltime social worker was hired in mid-2005 and placed at the drop-in center. The social worker conducted outreach in the community and in schools, as well as provided counseling to troubled youth. Without a substantial number of identified trafficking victims, the government cannot justify opening a dedicated shelter.

Prevention

The government continued implementation of a national plan of action against child commercial sexual exploitation that included outreach in schools, economic programs to assist impoverished women and children, and training for law enforcement and community leaders. It also funded local NGOs to provide education and public awareness programs on the subject of child commercial sexual exploitation. For instance, one NGO launched anti-prostitution programs in schools, targeting girls who may be exploited in prostitution as a result of their desire for extra spending money rather than as a result of poverty. During the period, collaboration meetings were held between the government, civil society, and NGOs on the problem of child commercial sexual exploitation.