European Court Orders Spain To Pay €27,000 To Nigerian Trafficking Victim
The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has ordered the Spanish government to pay €27,000 in compensation to a Nigerian woman who was trafficked to Spain as a teenager. In its October 10 ruling, the court determined that Spanish authorities failed to properly investigate her case when she reported being trafficked as a minor and forced into prostitution.
The woman, who was trafficked to Spain at the age of 14 in 2003, had been misled by her traffickers with promises of work. Before leaving Nigeria, her traffickers performed a “juju ritual” on her, threatening that she would die if she ever reported the trafficking to authorities. Upon arriving in Spain with a forged passport, she was forced into prostitution, with all her earnings going to the traffickers, who demanded €70,000 from her.
For four years, from 2003 to 2007, she endured forced prostitution before managing to escape. She sought help from a local non-governmental organization, which provided her with shelter and healthcare. In 2011, she lodged a formal complaint with Spanish authorities, accusing her traffickers of human trafficking and sexual exploitation.
However, after a six-year investigation, Spanish officials dismissed the case in 2017, calling it “superficial and insufficiently reasoned.” In 2021, the Nigerian woman turned to the European Court of Human Rights, claiming that Spanish authorities had failed to properly investigate, prosecute, and hold her traffickers accountable.
The ECHR found in her favor, ruling that she had indeed been a victim of human trafficking and forced prostitution. The court criticized the Spanish authorities for their lack of thorough investigation and disregard for their duty to address serious allegations of trafficking. The court awarded the Nigerian woman €15,000 for non-pecuniary damages and €12,000 for legal costs and expenses, totaling €27,000.
The ruling was delivered by a panel of judges from various countries, including France, Spain, and Ireland, and emphasized the importance of governments taking human trafficking cases seriously to protect victims and ensure justice.