Justice after 20 years: Moldovan court sentences traffickers for 2006 exploitation ring
A 45-year-old man has been sentenced to 11 years in prison and ordered to pay €3,070 (approx. 60,000 MDL) in moral damages for human and child trafficking. For one victim, justice was delivered posthumously following her death in a 2022 road accident.
Judges ruled that the defendant sexually exploited a teenage girl and two young women in Moscow starting in 2006. The prosecution (PCCOCS) revealed that the victims, aged 17 and 18, were lured with false promises of high-paying jobs as cosmetics saleswomen.
The victims were coerced into sexual labor in apartments and remote outdoor locations, where they were frequently mistreated. One victim had been forced to leave her nine-month-old infant in Moldova to seek what she believed was legitimate employment.
The investigation also led to an 11-year sentence for the mother of one trafficker, who acted as a recruiter. A third accomplice is currently facing trial at the North Court of Appeal for his role in the same criminal network.
The PCCOCS reported a significant crackdown on human trafficking throughout 2025, sending nearly 40 criminal cases to court. This sentencing marks a critical win in the ongoing effort to dismantle decades-old trafficking rings.
Prosecutors have issued a public safety advisory, warning that offers covering all travel and document costs often hide "fictitious debt" traps. Citizens are urged to verify recruiters' legal status and avoid any company lacking a transparent online presence or physical address.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
