Ulama: There is no evidence that yachting prostitution exists in Montenegro

The head of the Office for Combating Human Trafficking, Zoran Ulama, said that there is no evidence that so-called yachting prostitution exists in Montenegro and added that it is only a matter of rumours.

"Police representatives informed me that they are investigating and verifying these allegations and told me that there are no such occurrences, specifically in the port of Porto Montenegro," Ulama said at the presentation of the Strategy for Combating Human Trafficking 2012-2018. in the hotel "Ramada" in Podgorica.

The presentation of the Strategy was also attended by Ljiljana Raičević, executive director of the Safe Women's House in Podgorica, Ranka Čarapić, Supreme State Prosecutor and director of the Directorate for Prevention of Money Laundering and Terrorism Financing Predrag Mitrović.

Ulama stated that human trafficking is a global problem and one of the most serious forms of human rights violations

Human trafficking is an evil of every society and a serious violation of human rights, and the fight against this phenomenon requires the cooperation of all relevant institutions, said those present at the presentation of the Strategy.

The Head of the OSCE Mission in Montenegro, Lubomir Kopaj, said that human trafficking is a serious violation of human rights and a criminal offense and that the fight against this phenomenon is a complex issue that requires coordinated efforts of all government agencies and bodies, and strong inter-agency cooperation of all relevant institutions.

From 2004 to 2011, courts issued 37 verdicts for human trafficking

Ulama also stated that human trafficking is a global problem and one of the most serious forms of human rights violations.

"As one of the worst crimes of our time, human trafficking is a very lucrative economic crime that is based on the principles of supply and demand. According to data from 2004 to 2011, competent courts issued 37 verdicts for human trafficking. In 11 final cases, the accused were found guilty (27 persons), while in two final cases, the accused were acquitted. Labor exploitation is on the rise worldwide," said Ulama.

He added that we can join the ranks of countries that effectively fight against this phenomenon.

"Trafficking in human beings is an evil of modern times. This includes labor, sexual exploitation, and child trafficking. The forms of this phenomenon are changing," Ulama pointed out.

The main strategic direction of the Strategy, which was presented by Sonja Perišić, an independent adviser to the Office for Combating Human Trafficking, is to raise the level of public awareness of the phenomenon of human trafficking in order to better understand the problem.

Kopaj: The fight against human trafficking is not a beauty contest

When asked by a journalist how many cases of human trafficking have been recorded in Montenegro, and where the country is according to the results, Kopaj said that the fight against human trafficking is not a sporting event or a beauty contest.

"It's not a competition, and that's why it didn't matter where Montenegro was in that matter, and it's not crucial how many cases were recorded in the country. I lived in a country where, after the operation of the Mission, the number of victims of human trafficking increased. Whether that's good or bad and whether the number of cases really increased or the police work on it improved is not of interest to us. It is important to establish that this phenomenon exists as well as the danger of its increase and we must work on prevention," said Kopaj.