Transnational human trafficking cases often collapse at the point of prosecution because survivors disengage from legal proceedings after identification, frequently due to fragmented cross-border support and deep breaches of trust. In concert with an international NGO, we examine a “Continuum of Care,” a survivor-centered cross-border intervention developed in Romania to bridge critical gaps from identification through reintegration, with the aim of restoring survivor trust and promoting participation in criminal justice processes. The approach integrates (1) a transnational referral source-destination network, (2) a single point of contact for holistic services, and (3) structured, trauma-informed engagement strategies. Core care services include economic empowerment, social support, mental wellbeing, legal protection, physical wellbeing, and reintegration, assessed via the Assessment of Survivor Outcomes (ASO).
Prosecution support includes cross-border alignment among justice-system entities, structured legal representation, case accompaniment, and forensic psychological assessments. Preliminary evidence from a pilot (N=15) using pre–post paired comparisons shows statistically significant gains across ASO domains, including economic empowerment (+80%), safety (+31%), social support (+30%), mental wellbeing (+25%), legal protection (+24%), and physical wellbeing (+20%). Importantly, 14 of 15 survivors participated in legal proceedings, contributing to 10 convictions, with additional cases ongoing. Findings from a planned four phase study seek to inform policy and practice by specifying which trust-building components most reliably sustain survivor engagement across borders, strengthening National Referral Mechanisms, and improving prosecution outcomes against traffickers and organized crime groups.
Presenter: Dr. Christopher Blocker
