Responding to orphanage trafficking from an information gathering perspective

• Published in: Child abuse & neglect 2021-10, Vol.120, p.105222-105222, Article 105222
• Main Authors: Brubacher, Sonja P., van Doore, Kathryn E., Powell, Martine
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Child; Child, Institutionalized; Child, Orphaned; Children; Data Collection; Family; Human trafficking; Humans; Information gathering; Institutionalized persons; Interviewing; Interviews; Law enforcement; Methodological problems; Natural parents; Orphanages; Orphans; Paper orphans; Primary groups; Reunification; Trafficking; Victims
• ISSN: 0145-2134; 1873-7757
• DOI: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2021.105222

Estimates suggest that close to 3 million institutionalized children internationally have some family to whom they could go home. A proportion of these children is recruited from their communities under false pretenses and has false documentation that describes them as legal orphans. The orphanages where they live exploit them on the basis of their orphanhood. These children are known as paper orphans. The aim of the current article is to provide a profile of their origins and networks based on current available evidence, from an investigative interviewing perspective. Increased discussion and research of this problem will assist in supporting efforts towards reunification of children with families, investigations by law enforcement into orphanages, and successful prosecution of orphanage trafficking. The article provides an overview of the orphanage trafficking context, followed by a comparison of orphanage trafficking victims with other child trafficking victims from the perspective of investigative needs. Investigative needs are outlined with respect to two primary groups who would interview paper orphans and other involved parties (e.g., birth parents, orphanage staff)–law enforcement and reunification officers. In the final section of the article, we encourage further research on orphanage trafficking and provide initial guidance for interviewing in this unique context. This paper serves as a step to raise further awareness of paper orphans, orphanage trafficking, and the specific characteristics of their cases that affect research and planning into how to identify and interview them and others involved.