Children sold for €100 to beg: how the trafficking scheme that led to the disappearance of a pregnant woman in a maternity hospital in Porto works

The network operates throughout Europe, but there are only two open investigations, one in Portugal and the other in Romania. Nine people have been named as defendants, however, they are all outside the national territory and at liberty.

They were often found begging for money near the Portuguese Oncology Institute (IPO) in Porto, as well as near hospitals, churches and metro stations. The most touristy areas of the city centre were also stops in an attempt to earn some extra money. Some wore signs hanging from their chests that read “I am a deaf-mute child”. These were some of the techniques used by Romanian children who arrived in Portugal after being sold by their relatives to trafficking networks. They were forced to beg and, often, into slavery. Many were victims of rape , which resulted in some pregnancies.