Out of 99 arrests, just 16 people have been convicted at the Crown Court of human trafficking offences between 2015 and 2024
Northern Ireland has seen a rise in the number of potential victims of human trafficking being identified.
But while police are making arrests, the justice system is struggling to convert them into convictions, leaving serious questions over how effectively traffickers are being brought to justice.
An analysis of data from the PSNI and the Public Prosecution Service (PPS), which has been obtained by Belfast Live as part of our week-long investigation into the scale of human trafficking in Northern Ireland, highlights the scale of the problem.
From Arrest to Conviction
Between June 2015 and February 2025, the PSNI arrested 99 people for suspected human trafficking offences. Of those cases, only 68 went forward to the PPS for consideration.
Even after reaching prosecutors, most failed to progress. Of 79 prosecutorial decisions made between 2015 and the end of 2024, 51 resulted in no prosecution.
Only 22 cases reached the Crown Court between 2015 and 2024. Sixteen defendants were convicted of at least one human trafficking offence.
The contrast between 99 arrests and just 16 convictions illustrates the challenges faced in turning intelligence and investigation into outcomes in court.
Gaps in Sentencing Data
The picture is further clouded by the absence of detailed sentencing records. The PPS has said it cannot reliably align sentencing outcomes with specific human trafficking offences because of limitations in its data systems which do not allow for the easy collation of sentencing statistics for specific offences. However, the PPS have made it clear to us that there is no operational impact as prosecutors are able to easily identify sentences on individual cases.
Despite this, it makes it difficult for us to assess whether punishments are consistent, how severe they are, and what deterrent effect they may carry. This lack of transparency makes it difficult for journalists and the public to accurately assess the impact of policies aimed at tackling human trafficking and modern slavery.
Victim-led Approach
Speaking exclusively to Belfast Live, DCI Gail McCormick from the PSNI’s Organised Crime Branch, said that a criminal justice outcome may not always be in the best interest of victims.
“So obviously, like any law enforcement organisation, we are victim-led and we’ll always put the safeguarding and well-being of our victims at the forefront of everything, and sometimes it can boil down to that a criminal justice outcome is not in the best interest of that victim,” she said. “Actually, it’s supporting them to rebuild their life and to get them out of the situation.
“However, we take these offences really seriously. I work in the organised crime branch, and we have recently restructured to ensure that we have enhanced our capability and response to this, have upskilled our officers to o give them further training so that they are better able to deal with these offenses where organised crime groups are trading in vulnerable people like another commodity like drugs, but we can’t do this on our own.
“We have to work with our statutory partners and non-statutory partners, but also we need the help of the public because they’re the people who are up on the ground and they will see potential signs of concern of people that are maybe moving about at odd times of the day or night, or an overcrowding situation. Just somebody seems to be being controlled, doesn’t feel right, and I would appeal that they would phone in to the police and just make us aware because we can make some enquiries.”
DCI McCormick added that by coming forward, people who suspect that someone is being trafficked can “really change somebody’s life.”
“I’m not sure that [the perpetrators] have a conscience. I think they’re predators that are doing this,” she said. “They will be doing this for financial gain, but equally as determined as they are to make money and to profit off other people’s misery.
“We are as equally determined to identify them, to gather evidence against them, to hold them to account and to disrupt them and work throughout the United Kingdom and further afield with partners throughout the world, the likes of Homeland Security Investigations and In the United States we have excellent contacts and relationships there.
“We’ve had multiple joint investigations through Europol with the likes of Romania and obviously our colleagues in An Garda Siochana. So basically, we will work with whoever to put them out of business and to disrupt them because you can’t put a price on a person’s life.”
PPS Response
In response to our findings, Catherine Kierans, Head of the PPS Serious Crime Unit, said: “We take cases involving human trafficking and paying for sexual services extremely seriously and recognise the impact they can have on victims. Human trafficking is a particularly complex offence, and victims may be exploited in different ways, including for forced labour and sexual abuse. They may be hesitant to seek help due to fear of, and control by, their traffickers.
“The PPS works closely with the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI), the Organised Crime Task Force, other criminal justice agencies including the Department of Justice and victim representative groups to improve our collective approach to these cases, including the experience of victim and witnesses.
“Our specialist human trafficking prosecutors work with dedicated PSNI officers to support victims and pursue prosecutions where evidence permits. These complex cases often involve multiple, interlinked offences and may span borders. We have collaborated with police and prosecutors in other jurisdictions through Joint Investigation Teams, where cases have a cross-jurisdictional aspect, as many do. We work with police early in investigations, often before any arrests, to advise on evidence and help build strong cases. We also provide input to the PSNI dedicated training on human trafficking for officers”
Catherine Kierans said that the PPS can only consider files they receive from police and that they “do this carefully, impartially and independently.”
“To bring a criminal prosecution, there must be sufficient available evidence to provide a reasonable prospect of conviction in court, and it must be in the public interest to prosecute,” she continued. “Our role is to bring cases that meet the legal Test for Prosecution before the court and select the appropriate charges. While not every case meets the Test for Prosecution for the specific offence of human trafficking, prosecutors may proceed with other relevant charges, such as controlling prostitution or offences under proceeds of crime legislation. These alternative prosecutions still play a vital role in disrupting trafficking networks and associated criminal activity. We prosecute all cases that meet the Test at their height. When a case reaches court, it is for the court to determine innocence or guilt.
“These cases present challenges for police and prosecutors. Victims, who are often highly vulnerable for a range of reasons, can be reluctant to report offences to police. They may experience challenges including trauma and language barriers. They may be frightened of giving evidence in court.
“Our specialist prosecutors are trained in the complexities of these cases, including in the impact of trauma on victims. Where there is sufficient evidence to bring a prosecution, where appropriate we will apply to the court for special measures, such as allowing vulnerable or intimidated witnesses to give evidence remotely away from the courtroom. We also signpost victims to appropriate specialist support services.
“I want to appeal to people who think they may be victims of these offences to please take the first step and contact police. You will be treated sensitively and with respect at all times. If you have concerns about another person, please also report this to the police.
“All these cases are handled carefully, objectively and sensitively by dedicated teams of police and prosecutors.”
Tackling Exploitation
In a statement, Justice Minister Naomi Long said: “My Department’s Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking Strategy 2024-27 was launched in July 2024 and support for victims is at the heart of the 3-year Strategy. Addressing Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking (MSHT) requires a collaborative system-wide approach across society. I am committed to tackling all forms of exploitation, holding perpetrators to account and ensuring the victims of these heinous crimes are supported to recover and rebuild their lives.
“The National Referral Mechanism (NRM) is the UK-wide mechanism for identifying potential victims of modern slavery and human trafficking and is operated by the Home Office. When referred into the NRM, victims/potential victims of MSHT are entitled to access support funded by my Department, which can include support for accommodation, living expenses, access to health and social care, and counselling.
“This essential support is delivered across Northern Ireland by Belfast and Lisburn Women’s Aid (BLWA) and Migrant Help (MH). MH provide support to male victims and their families and BLWA provide support for female victims and their children. The funding allocated by my Department to provide this support for 2025-2026 is currently in the region of £2.2m.
Victims of sexual exploitation are among the most vulnerable and traumatised in the criminal justice system.
“The uniquely tailored wraparound support provided from our contractors offers victims in their services a chance to avail of specialised support, enabling them to deal with the trauma of their past experiences and empower them to rebuild their lives.
“Victims are supported until the Home Office makes either a Reasonable Grounds or Conclusive Grounds decision for an individual as part of the NRM process. However, my Department is able to provide further support to victims beyond a positive Conclusive Grounds decision on the basis of individual need, to ensure that all victims’ complex recovery needs are met.”
Systemic Challenges
The data paints a picture of a justice system grappling with complex offences where evidence is difficult to secure, and cases are hard to prove beyond a reasonable doubt. While more potential victims are being identified, and arrests continue to be made, the path to conviction remains narrow.
Without reliable sentencing information and with only a fraction of cases ending in guilty verdicts, the effectiveness of Northern Ireland’s response to human trafficking is left in doubt.
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