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News Items

2020-09-30	Social Work Student Association raise funds for Sunflower House
2020-09-30	Social Work Student Association raise funds for Sunflower House
2020-09-29	Can COVID-19 change us for the better?
2020-09-29	Can COVID-19 change us for the better?
2020-09-28	UFS’ Next Generation Sequencing Unit designated as a WHO Collaborating Centre
2020-09-28	UFS’ Next Generation Sequencing Unit designated as a WHO Collaborating Centre
2020-09-28	SA needs tough, bold decisions post-COVID-19
2020-09-28	SA needs tough, bold decisions post-COVID-19
2020-09-24	International Cultural Diversity Festival connects cultures
2020-09-24	International Cultural Diversity Festival connects cultures
2020-09-23	#HeritageDay: South African diversity a microcosm of the world
2020-09-23	#HeritageDay: South African diversity a microcosm of the world
2020-09-23	Legalising communal artisanal small-scale miners
2020-09-23	Legalising communal artisanal small-scale miners
2020-09-23	The Heritage of Hope
2020-09-23	The Heritage of Hope
2020-09-23	Third Amazing Race journey through Africa
2020-09-23	Third Amazing Race journey through Africa
2020-09-23	Can we use African Indigenous Knowledge to tackle COVID-19?
2020-09-23	Can we use African Indigenous Knowledge to tackle COVID-19?
2020-09-23	UFS hosts 2020 Virtual International Cultural Diversity Festival
2020-09-23	UFS hosts 2020 Virtual International Cultural Diversity Festival
2020-09-21	Update on developments at the UFS
2020-09-21	Update on developments at the UFS
2020-09-22	You too can get behind Ubuntu
2020-09-22	You too can get behind Ubuntu
2020-09-17	Nutrition in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic
2020-09-17	Nutrition in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic
2020-09-16	Student Affairs research colloquium: Connecting meaningfully in a digital world
2020-09-16	Student Affairs research colloquium: Connecting meaningfully in a digital world
2020-09-16	UFS hosts national #HeritageDay webinar with SA Poet Laureate
2020-09-16	UFS hosts national #HeritageDay webinar with SA Poet Laureate
2020-09-15	Plant breeding enhances crop improvement
2020-09-15	Plant breeding enhances crop improvement
2020-09-15	Your safety and survival key during kidnapping
2020-09-15	Your safety and survival key during kidnapping
2020-09-14	UFS part of new international digital humanities history project
2020-09-14	UFS part of new international digital humanities history project
2020-09-14	Kovsie sports star one of Mail & Guardian’s 200 exceptional young South Africans
2020-09-14	Kovsie sports star one of Mail & Guardian’s 200 exceptional young South Africans
2020-09-11	UFS dermatologist publishes first-ever comprehensive skin atlas
2020-09-11	UFS dermatologist publishes first-ever comprehensive skin atlas
2020-09-11	Black women’s hair: A political battlefield
2020-09-11	Black women’s hair: A political battlefield
2020-09-11	The ignored threat of fungal infections
2020-09-11	The ignored threat of fungal infections
2020-09-10	‘Do, Re, Mental Health’ – Harmonising Well-being with Music
2020-09-10	‘Do, Re, Mental Health’ – Harmonising Well-being with Music
2020-09-10	Dr Madiope participating in annual Adelaide Tambo lecture at TUT
2020-09-10	Dr Madiope participating in annual Adelaide Tambo lecture at TUT
2020-09-10	'Kamphoer' author delivers another compelling novel
2020-09-10	'Kamphoer' author delivers another compelling novel
2020-09-09	2020 UFS Thought-Leader Series: The South African Economy
2020-09-09	2020 UFS Thought-Leader Series: The South African Economy
2020-09-09	Call for contributions: 2020 International Cultural Diversity Festival
2020-09-09	Call for contributions: 2020 International Cultural Diversity Festival
2020-09-08	Finding safe havens for biodiversity in the eastern Free State
2020-09-08	Finding safe havens for biodiversity in the eastern Free State
2020-09-07	UFS and CUT research projects get funding
2020-09-07	UFS and CUT research projects get funding
2020-09-07	‘People must be at the centre of what we do’
2020-09-07	‘People must be at the centre of what we do’
2020-09-05	We are ready
2020-09-05	We are ready
2020-09-04	Return of students to campus during Level 2
2020-09-04	Return of students to campus during Level 2
2020-09-03	Opportunities revealed by COVID-19 for continuously developing a universally accessible university
2020-09-03	Opportunities revealed by COVID-19 for continuously developing a universally accessible university
2020-08-31	ITP Transformation Week: Call for Contributions
2020-08-31	ITP Transformation Week: Call for Contributions
2020-09-02	Faculty of Health Sciences welcomes donations of PPEs
2020-09-02	Faculty of Health Sciences welcomes donations of PPEs
2020-09-03	Virtual Graduation Ceremonies, 6-9 October 2020
2020-09-03	Virtual Graduation Ceremonies, 6-9 October 2020
2020-09-07	New biosafety laboratory to improve health quality
2020-09-07	New biosafety laboratory to improve health quality
2020-09-02	UFS postdoctoral fellow wins medal at international webinar
2020-09-02	UFS postdoctoral fellow wins medal at international webinar
2020-09-02	Deputy Minister of Higher Education and Training, Buti Manamela, visits the UFS
2020-09-02	Deputy Minister of Higher Education and Training, Buti Manamela, visits the UFS
2020-09-01	SAA, fly me to the moon
2020-09-01	SAA, fly me to the moon
2020-09-01	First-ever UFS winner of TEN Campaign Award says it will open doors to many learning opportunities for her
2020-09-01	First-ever UFS winner of TEN Campaign Award says it will open doors to many learning opportunities for her
2020-09-01	Devina Harry accepted into the Kader Asmal Fellowship Programme
2020-09-01	Devina Harry accepted into the Kader Asmal Fellowship Programme
2020-09-01	Intersectionality of womanhood unpacked in UFS Women’s Month webinar
2020-09-01	Intersectionality of womanhood unpacked in UFS Women’s Month webinar

News Archive

UFS’s Unit for Children’s Rights instrumental in helping human trafficked victim

2010-03-29

Adv. Beatri Kruger.
Photo: Leonie Bolleurs

“Wheeling and dealing is part of our daily life. But what if the ‘product’ bought or sold is not a spanner or a cell phone, but a living human being? Disturbing news came to the fore... apart from other places in the country, and for that matter all over the world, it was discovered that people are treated like commodities here in Bloemfontein as well,” said Adv. Beatri Kruger from the Unit for Children’s Rights at the University of the Free State (UFS).

Adv. Kruger was instrumental in completing and availing the first comprehensive Research Report on Human Trafficking in South Africa to the public on 23 March 2010. As a member of the Reference Group advising on interim research reports on human trafficking, she contributed to the report. The report proves to be an extremely valuable tool for, among others, government departments and non-governmental organisations that use it as a guideline in planning interventions to combat human trafficking.

The Unit for Children’s Rights is also one of the founding members of the Free State Human Trafficking Forum (FHF). To react on and fight the disturbing reality of human trafficking more efficiently, a number of concerned role players such as Child Welfare and other non-governmental organisations, police officials, prosecutors, social workers, health practitioners, private businesses, churches and community organisations joined forces and formed the FHF. The Unit for Children’s Rights hosts monthly meetings at the UFS to facilitate the coordination of this multi-disciplinary counter-trafficking team.

Adv. Kruger is very excited about some of the successes of the FHF; such as the story of Soma (not her real name). This Indian woman was recruited in India by an Indian couple who are staying in South Africa, by promising her a good job in South Africa. However, instead of finding the promised job, Soma was extensively exploited for labour purposes. With the help of a “good Samaritan” she managed to escape from the perpetrators and fled to the police. Soma was removed to ensure her safety and accommodated in a safe place in Bloemfontein. Counselling and other services were rendered to her by an organisation which is also a member of the FHF. One of the challenges facing Soma and the service providers was that Soma speaks a foreign dialect and for weeks a trusted interpreter could not be found.

This obstacle rendered communication with her to the bare minimum. The perpetrators were arrested but unfortunately the new comprehensive counter-trafficking law is not in force yet. Therefore the perpetrators could only be convicted of some offences in the Immigration Act. However, due to good police investigation followed by shrewd consultations, the perpetrators agreed to pay for the victim’s return flight to India as well as for the flight ticket of the investigating officer to escort her to safety. The Unit for Children’s Rights did networking with Ms Maria Nikolovska of the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), who agreed to assist in the safe reintegration of Soma in India. Soma is now on her way back home.

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