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In 2015-2017 CARITAS LITHUANIA program "Aid to the Victims of Human Trafficking and Prostitution" with the Kazickas Family Foundation's support helped 24 victims of human trafficking, 12 of them were minors. Victims were exploited in Lithuania, Great Britain, Latvia, Switzerland.
Vicitims received:
- Qualified attorney's help during the investigations and trials (18 individuals)
- Help with food, necessary hygiene and household items, clothes and shoes (15 individuals)
- Safe shelter when victims testified against the traffickers and pimps (6 individuals)
Nineteen victims were forced to commit crimes, 5 were used for prostitution.
With the Kazickas Family Foundation's help with legal support, safe shelter, financial assistance, 70% of victims were able to integrate back into atheir normal lives: they went back to high schools, trade schools, started families, were able to get their children back from temporary custody, found legal jobs.
All court trials where victims were represented by the attorneys paid by the Kazickas Family Foundation, were successful during the first court instance (decision to sentence the traffickers was reached), 5 of them filed for appeal and are awaiting for trials at the Court of Appeals.
Caritas Lithuania thanks the Kazickas Family Foundation for unique support allowing to hire attorneys to represent the victims. This huge contribution is helping to form an intolerant view to the trafficking in human beings phenomenon in Lithuania - and, more importantly, to encourage victims to break silence, to ask for help and seek justice.