A/HRC/12/21
page 7
Italy, Mauritania and Romania to carry out a country visit. She looks forward to a continuing
dialogue with the following countries to which she has sent requests for visits: Bangladesh,
Ecuador, Nepal, Peru, Qatar, the Sudan and Uzbekistan.
G. Communications
17. On 21 January 2009, the Special Rapporteur, together with the Special Rapporteur on the
human rights aspects of the victims of trafficking in persons, especially women and children, and
the Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery, its causes and consequences, sent a
joint letter of allegation concerning two separate cases.
18. The first case concerns allegations that an Indian girl, aged 16, was kidnapped, abused and
sold to a brothel to work as a prostitute. She escaped two years later and despite repeated
complaints following her escape, no police investigation has been undertaken. It is reported that
although she escaped from her abusers, she still lives in fear of reprisal, being kidnapped again
or killed. It is alleged that the fact that she gave birth to a child suggests the prevalence of unsafe
sexual practices in brothels, and that victims can easily fall prey to sexually transmitted
infections like HIV.
19. According to information received, no action, investigation or arrests have been made by
the police at Kotwali station despite the notoriety of the brothel owners and human traffickers
involved in this case, and despite the fact that the Indian Penal Code includes a number of
relevant prohibitions.
20. In the red-light district of Shivadspur (Varanasi), B., P., A., J. and T. are reportedly well
known for kidnapping girls through fake marriage, intoxication, or simply through force. Girls
are then sold to brothels where they are forced to work as prostitutes and for the production of
pornographic material.
21. The second case concerns a 15-year-old Indian girl who was allegedly kidnapped and
trafficked into sexual exploitation. While there has been a criminal investigation regarding her
case, reportedly, this investigation has not been conducted adequately with a view to identifying
and punishing all perpetrators involved.
22. The victim was reportedly taken to Varanasi and sold by human traffickers for sexual
exploitation. According to the information received, on 30 August 2008, a search and rescue
operation was carried out by local police. Allegedly, the girl was located in a brothel at
3/120 Rattapur, Ramnagar, Varanasi. When the rescuers entered the house, they found five other
girls also being held. The brothel keeper, Mr. P.N.M., and his “manager”, Mrs. A., were arrested
during the rescue operation.
23. The girls found in the brothel had been made to dance with orchestras playing and were
sexually exploited. Mrs. A. had told them that they were going to be sent to a foreign country
within a few days.
24. The First Information Report was lodged at the Ramnagar Police Station, Varanasi, under
the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act (ITP), 1956. Apparently, this case is registered against
Mr. M., Mrs. A., as well as the five girls who were rescued from the house.
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