Territorial paths for providing assistance to victims of human trafficking. Qualitative analysis from the institutional actors’ perspective in Santander, Colombia

Abstract

The response of the Colombian State to human trafficking can be described as decentralized, since territorial entities have their own specific competencies in this area. In this article, the actions aimed at assisting the victims of this despicable crime in the Department of Santander, Colombia, are examined. Its objective is to offer a diagnosis based on a qualitative analysis of experiences told by officers. Five cases occurring between 2012 and 2015 are reconstructed. The information comes from the narrative surveys of nine persons having assisted sufferers and, from the reconstruction of their narratives, the exposed set of attempted practices and setbacks evidences the need to strengthen the abilities and capacities of both officers and institutions at the local level. The results obtained are coherent with those originating in other studies carried out in Colombia. They also point out to less known phenomena such as the social judgment of officers and the poor attention and care given to secondary victims. A suggestion has been made concerning the need to promote a decentralization serving to accompany the delegation of responsibilities to territorial entities with stronger technical and financial support from the central level.