The Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Marija Pejčinović Burić, has urged countries across the continent to make sure that victims of human trafficking receive justice, including financial compensation, for the abuses they suffer.

On the eve of European Anti-trafficking Day (18 October), the Secretary General said: “People who trade in human beings subject their victims to the most horrendous forms of exploitation and abuse.

“Traffickers must be rigorously prosecuted and punished, but justice must also be done to the victims of trafficking – by making sure they receive compensation, they are protected from being trafficked again and they are given sufficient help to put their lives back together.”

Launched in 2005, the Council of Europe’s Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings is the first international treaty to require states to make sure that victims are compensated for the damages they have suffered.

• Read full press release: Anti-trafficking day: Victims must have justice, including compensation, says Council of Europe Secretary General