Getting to Know Women Convicted of Human Trafficking in Spain: Personal Profiles and Involvement in Crime

Abstract

[Abstract]: Human trafficking has stereotypically been depicted as a crime committed exclusively by violent men, operating in organised criminal groups, who enslave vulnerable and naïve women. Although this construction serves to explain some cases, the rates of women convicted of trafficking in the world are remarkably high and deserve closer attention. This paper contributes to existing global knowledge on female traffickers by providing empirical data about 43 women punished for human trafficking in Spain between 2015 and 2018. To do so, several factors related to the women’s profiles, methods and roles performed in the criminal enterprise are analysed, based on information obtained from 39 court judgments. The results highlight the similarity between victims’ and perpetrators’ personal circumstances, and show that women’s involvement in trafficking networks can vary substantially, illustrating the complex dynamics behind human trafficking. Overall, the paper draws attention to the need to develop gender-appropriate policies to prevent human trafficking and guarantee proportionality in criminal justice responses to female traffickers.