HIDDEN VICTIMS

Children apprehended for gang-related activities are not typically screened for signs of human trafficking, raising concerns that youngsters exploited by criminal networks could be punished for crimes they were forced to commit, according to the United States Department of State.

The finding is among the key concerns outlined in the department’s 2026 Trafficking in Persons Report on Jamaica, which warns that inadequate screening of vulnerable children could result in trafficking victims being inappropriately penalised for unlawful acts committed as a direct consequence of their exploitation.

The report, released last wweek, cited the issue among the justifications for Jamaica retaining a Tier 2 ranking on the Global Human Trafficking Index.

Disadvantaged boys

The report said gang members exploit children, typically boys from disadvantaged backgrounds, in forced begging and criminal activities, including acting as lookouts, armed gunmen, and couriers of weapons and drugs. There were also reports of criminal organisations exploiting children in forced criminal activity linked to lottery scamming.

“JCF’s (Jamaica Constabulary Force) Anti-Trafficking Unit reported screening for trafficking when apprehending vulnerable individuals, including migrants and persons engaged in commercial sex,” reads the report. “Non-specialised police screened and identified four victims and referred them to services; however, they did not typically screen for trafficking indicators among vulnerable groups, including children apprehended for gang-related activity.”

The report said trafficking remains predominantly domestic in the island, with Jamaicans being trafficked by fellow Jamaicans within the country. It said that girls between 12 and 17 comprised more than 80 per cent of identified victims, which was consistent with previous years.

“Forced child labour, including domestic servitude, is the most prevalent form of child trafficking in Jamaica ... . Boys reported experiencing exploitation in forced child labour outside the home and exploitation in forced criminal activity by gangs at higher rates. Girls and boys report similar rates of exploitation in domestic servitude,” it continues.

The report recommends that Jamaica fully implement screening tools to improve the identification and referral of potential trafficking victims, specifically including children apprehended for gang-related activities, and also called for legal or policy changes to strengthen law enforcement’s ability to classify children subjected to forced criminality as trafficking victims.

Jamaican law protects trafficking victims from prosecution for immigration or commercial sex offences committed solely as a direct result of being trafficked. However, it does not provide immunity for other unlawful acts committed as a direct result of trafficking.

“Due to inadequate screening among vulnerable populations, including children apprehended for gang-related criminal activity, the Government did not take effective measures to prevent the inappropriate penalization of potential victims solely for unlawful acts committed as a direct result of being trafficked,” the report says, noting that a prevalence study completed in 2023 estimated that 6.3 per cent of children age 12 to 17 had experienced, or were experiencing, conditions indicative of human trafficking.

Forced child labour, including domestic servitude, was identified as the most prevalent form of child trafficking in Jamaica, according to the report, which added that child sex trafficking more frequently occurred through private transactions than in commercial establishments.

Children reported missing in Jamaica were among those vulnerable to exploitation, with traffickers exploiting some in forced labour or sex trafficking.

The report recommends increased funding and human resources for agencies responsible for protecting victims, as well as stronger risk-assessment procedures within the child protection system.

It also calls for more comprehensive, trauma-informed services, including support for victims reintegrating into society and assistance throughout lengthy court proceedings.

While the authorities referred all potential and confirmed victims to services during the reporting period, the report says gaps remained in the identification and protection of vulnerable groups, and it further recommends stronger systems for collecting and sharing data on suspected and confirmed trafficking cases to inform national policy and programmes.

When contacted by The Gleaner, high-level representatives from the JCF declined to speak on the issue, and instead directed questions through the Constabulary Communications Network. Calls to Security Minister Horace Chang and representatives from the Child Protection and Family Services also went unanswered yesterday.

The findings, however, come amid a wider debate in Jamaica over how the justice system distinguishes between criminal culpability and individual circumstances, following protests by attorneys against mandatory minimum sentences under the Firearms (Prohibition, Restriction and Regulation) Act, 2022.

The lawyers’ protest centres on judicial discretion in sentencing, while the trafficking report raises a related concern – whether children apprehended for gang-related activity are adequately screened to determine if they were coerced or exploited into committing offences.

corey.robinson@gleanerjm.com