Europol arrests criminal group for sexual exploitation of Ukrainian refugees in Spain

Europol, together with the local police in Spain, exposed a criminal group involved in human trafficking. The suspects promised the victims, mainly Ukrainian women, a job, but in reality, they kept the women in sexual slavery.

This was reported by Europol's press service.

As noted, according to the police, the criminal group, which has been active since 2020, recruited women on the Internet, mainly through social networks.

The suspects posed as managers of a recruitment agency. They aimed mostly at Ukrainian women, as well as citizens of Belarus. Victims were offered legitimate employment in the entertainment and tourism industry.

Those willing to work were brought to Spain with tourist visas, promising positions as hostesses and administrators. On the spot, Ukrainian women were encouraged to submit documents for temporary protection due to the war in Ukraine, after which they received a residence permit in Spain.

However, instead of the promised employment contract, the victims were subjected to sexual exploitation in a Spanish nightclub in El Ejido (Almeria).

The women were placed in three houses, isolating them from society. Human traffickers tried to create such conditions that Ukrainian women could not escape and that law enforcement officers would not find them. The criminals themselves received huge illegal income.

Eventually, the Spanish police, with the help of Europol, uncovered the scheme and arrested five people, including the group's alleged leader. Among those detained:

• a Spanish citizen
• two Russian citizens
• two citizens of Ukraine.

Investigators have already identified at least 14 women who suffered from sexual exploitation. The investigation is still ongoing.

Earlier, OSCE Secretary General Helga Schmid stated that the number of cases of human trafficking has increased dramatically, and the war has significantly increased the problem of sexual slavery against Ukrainian women.

It should be added that, according to WHO data, one in three women has experienced sexual violence during her lifetime. It can take different forms: from unwanted touching and yelling to rape. The main feature is that the offender commits this type of violence without the consent of the victim. And it can happen to anyone, regardless of age and gender.

In addition, research by the Childlight Global Child Safety Institute at the University of Edinburgh indicates that more than 300 million children around the world are victims of online sexual abuse each year.