Child trafficking: ‘law must be changed’

TEN out of every 100 children coming into Ireland require serious investigation for possible child trafficking, a leading expert said yesterday.

But Dr Pauline Conroy said that because these cases are so difficult to prove, only one out of every 10 child trafficking cases will lead to a prosecution.

“If accused of trafficking a perpetrator will claim ‘sure I was only smuggling her in as a favour to her parents - I never meant to harm her’,” Dr Conroy added.