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Last update - 06:14 11/12/2007 Report: Most human-traffickers are from former Soviet Union By Ruth Sinai, Haaretz Correspondent Tags: Human trafficking Your typical Israeli human-trafficker is a 40-year-old man, originally from the Soviet Union, married, with one child, with no criminal record, and is an "asset" to the community. This is the portrait drawn by attorney Naomi Levenkorn, of the Hotline for Migrant Workers, in a ground-breaking report issued Monday: "Another shipment from Tashkent - Outline of the Israeli Trafficker in Women." The Hotline report is based on the case files of 325 traffickers brought to trial since 1992. These include their police interrogations, verdicts that have yet to be published, interviews with police officers and victims of trafficking, as well as the testimony of traffickers and lawyers who appeared before Meretz MK Zahava Gal-On's parliamentary committee on trafficking in women. Much has been written over the years about the women who are bought and sold for the sex industry, but this is the first time an attempt has been made to depict those who trade in them. Traffickers' backgrounds differ greatly - one was an Israeli karate champion, another the son of a Holocaust survivor - but there are common elements. Advertisement At least 70 percent were born in the former Soviet Union, and 90 percent are men. Some 10 percent of traffickers are women, 19 percent of them prostitutes. Some of the women were no less cruel than the men. Irina Fishman, for example, prevented one of her victims from sleeping for three days because she was considered tardy in carrying out her cleaning duties. The average age of the traffickers on trial was 40, but some had got a very early start - Yaniv Azran, for example, was a soldier in compulsory service. Nearly 70 percent were married or had a live-in partner, which did not keep them from raping their victims. Semion Doshker, for example, was tried along with his wife and lover, and it turned out that he had also raped some of the women he trafficked. In more than one instance, the rape was presented in the court's minutes as "an admissions test" or "vetting the merchandise." A breakdown of the data shows that 42 percent of those in the trade have one child, and 28 percent have two children. Some of the children were partners in the "business." Almost half of the traffickers had no prior criminal record. The list includes the owner of a candy store in the Opera House building in South Tel Aviv, a taxi driver, an employee in the food industry, an instructor at a fitness center, an ice-cream truck driver, and the owner of a furniture store. Nine traffickers had served in the Israel Defense Forces, and three of them had been recognized as disabled veterans. The report also looked into how traffickers spent their leisure time. One of them, who was charged with beating women with a whip and stick, had volunteered with the police and was involved in raising a pet iguana. Another made contributions to a staff party for the prison wardens association, a Hanukkah ball at the French immigrants society and a gala dance for the parents of the school at Kibbutz Deganya Bookmark to del.icio.us   Facebook face-off Settlers win right to list country as Israel, not Palestine. Shin Bet.com The covert agency has deployed a new weapon: the blog.   1.   THEIR current adress should be jail.Knesset is working on it 07:58  |  PETER SM 11/12/07   2.   Send the garbage out of the country. 09:13  |  David 11/12/07   3.   Suitable candidates... 09:20  |  Esther 11/12/07   4.   Just a job, not worse that legal foreign workers abuse 09:25  |  Alex 11/12/07   5.   Print their names, addresses & phone nos. 09:43  |  Simon 11/12/07   6.   Maybe former Soviet citizens just get caiugh more easily? 10:57  |  Andreas 11/12/07   7.   Gal-on, prostitute of the left, finally does something useful 11:09  |  SLAVO 11/12/07   8.   What do you mean David #2 11:19  |  dovale 11/12/07   9.   Ester mein schwester 11:27  |  dovale 11/12/07   10.   Great Timing 11:52  |  David 11/12/07   11.   Re dovale #9 11:57  |  Esther 11/12/07   12.   The Stain Is Still Not Cleansed 12:13  |  Yaakov Sullivan 11/12/07   13.   to #8 12:54  |  Yosef 11/12/07   14.   Esther`s hopes #3 13:56  |  sh 11/12/07   15.   THE ZWI MIGDAL SOCIETY 14:00  |  Kooky Dennt 11/12/07   16.   Life imprisoment for such crimes is an excellent deterrent. 19:00  |  bat yam 11/12/07   17.   #4: The difference 21:37  |  Global Citizen 11/12/07   18.   former soviets 06:12  |  Dror 13/12/07   19.   RUSSIA NEEDS THEM SEND THEM BACK ASAP. 14:53  |  petra 18/03/08

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