Grooming victims are often young individuals approached via the internet Photo: Shutterstock

Grooming victims are often young individuals approached via the internet Photo: Shutterstock

In 2020, the criminal police department recorded more grooming cases than it did human trafficking incidences in the grand duchy.

In a year marked by the covid pandemic and global unrest, the criminal police department recorded about half a dozen reported cases of human trafficking in 2020 involving about ten victims. Trafficking cases are either being discovered by officers, for instance during police controls, or are exposed when victims report them directly to the police or other services. 

In the same year, there were more grooming incidences reported than human trafficking cases in the grand duchy, with almost 20 grooming cases treated by the criminal police in 2020, according to information provided to Delano by the police. The OED’s entry for “groom” is “to befriend or influence (a child), now esp. via the internet, in preparation for future sexual abuse.”

Grooming victims .

The criminal police department, via its dedicated office for victim protection, is in charge of identifying possible human trafficking victims and provides additional support. Human trafficking victims can report to the police via its , as can .