A Victimological Analysis on Trafficking in Women and Children

Trafficking in persons is a form of organized crime which mostly victimizes women and children. They are persons who often deceived by perpetrators and victimized by traffickers. The victimization of persons trafficked often caused by several pathological factors especially gender and age.
According to a descriptive and analytical method, this research explores the contents of international instruments and the Iranian laws concerning the trafficking in women and children.
Gender and age are two main factors which play a key role in victimizations of persons trafficked. From a victimological perspective, such victimization requires a differential protection and support for these groups of victims. Accordingly, specific measures have been taken to protect these persons and adoption of the first protocol of Palermo Convention entitled the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children (15 Nov. 2000) is a significant effort to combat with trafficking in persons, especially to protect these victims. In Iran, the Combating Trafficking in Persons Act 2005 does not correspond with international standards including the Protocol 2000, and only aims to penal protection of such victims by criminalizing trafficking in persons.
Despite international efforts on the protection of the victims concerned, the Act 2005 does not seem to be sufficient to support the victims of trafficking in persons. To conclude, reviewing and reforming domestic laws to recognize international standards and provisions and incorporating them into national legal system, specifically, expanding the protective measures to other forms of support, other than penal form, seems to be necessary.