Roles of Offenders in Human Trafficking in Greece: Insights from Experts and Offenders
Purpose:
The present paper discusses the roles and self-perceptions of individuals who have trafficked human beings in Greece by integrating their self-reported accounts with expert insights concerning the motivations, gendered pathways leading to offending, and mechanisms of control. The study addresses a critical gap in offender-focused studies on human trafficking in the Greek and wider European context by exploring motivations, organisational structure, recruitment methods, and feelings of guilt/denial among offenders from a gender perspective.
Methods:
The current research is qualitative in nature, with semi-structured interviews with 14 incarcerated offenders (7 males, 7 females) together with 5 anti-trafficking experts being conducted as part of the EU-funded ASIT project (Adequate Support Measures for Victims and Offenders of Trafficking in Human Beings). The interview material was categorised by themes to identify common patterns and divergences between the male and female offenders.
Findings:
The results show the experts’ insights complement the offenders’ selfreported accounts, which frequently include denial, minimisation, and the redirection of responsibility. Several women in the sample often reported having been coerced or manipulated by relatives or partners, while male offenders framed their actions as normal business arrangements. Offenders of either gender many times blurred the line dividing victimhood and offending. Continuous demand as a structural driver of trafficking and a variety of offender profiles were described by experts across Greece.
Research Limitations:
The small sample size and reliance on self-reported accounts limits the findings’ generalisability.
Practical Implications:
By bringing offenders’ perceptions into focus, the study helps with understanding the dynamics of human trafficking in Greece and provides evidence for policy as well as prevention and rehabilitation strategies within the correctional and judicial systems.
UDC: 343.9:343.545(495)
Keywords: Trafficking in human beings, Greece, offenders, gender