Howard Campbell, Gleaner Writer

Nicholson

JUSTICE MINISTER A.J. Nicholson says a Government task force established to monitor human trafficking in Jamaica has found some local companies in breach of the Trafficking of Persons Act.

Mr. Nicholson made this disclosure during an address to the Rotary Club of Kingston luncheon Wednesday at the Jamaica Pegasus hotel in New Kingston.

"There are firms in Jamaica, there are companies inJamaica, which have got themselves into positions where persons are 'employed' and are exploited," he said. "In the case of corporate entities, liability may be pinned on the directors, managers or other officers concerned with the management."

No names

Mr. Nicholson, who is also Attorney-General, did not name any of the companies, but said any organisation that conceals, withholds, removes or destroys documents relating to the movement of persons, will be penalised.

He added that the employee, once he or she can provide evidence of exploitation, is eligible for retribution payment.

"If you had asked me three or four years ago, I would tell you that, 'Look, these things don't happen in Jamaica'," he said. "But, believe me, it happens."

The Justice Minister said that since the task force was set up by former Prime Minister P.J. Patterson in 2005, many cases of human trafficking have been unearthed. Many involve children.

Exploiting the young

Using the sensational 'sale' of a teenage girl by her parents to a man in St. Elizabeth as an example, Mr. Nicholson said the exploitation of young boys and girls in Jamaica was widespread. He warned that, under the law, not only persons who know of the deed can be jailed.

"You may say you are helping X to take young Y into his house for domestic help, not necessarily for sexual exploitation, so you turn a blind eye and say you never do it," Mr. Nicholson explained. "The fact is, you knew about it and facilitated it."

The Government task force was established after the United States Department of State named Jamaica in Tier Three of its human trafficking list the country was upgraded to Tier Two last year, the State Department said Jamaica had made only "modest progress" in curbing human trafficking.

The Trafficking in Persons Act was tabled in Parliament in November last year.