Children forced into criminal activity by organised crime groups are at serious risk of being treated as offenders rather than victims, a new report warns. The findings have placed child trafficking and criminal exploitation at the centre of Ireland’s latest social affairs debate, with campaigners calling for stronger identification, protection and support.
Breaking News: Child trafficking victims may be misidentified
A report from the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (IHREC) identifies the exploitation of children by drug gangs as a leading concern among organisations working with vulnerable young people.
It warns that children involved in criminality may face a particularly severe form of victim blaming. Instead of being recognised as children subjected to grooming, coercion and abuse, they may be treated primarily as criminal suspects or offenders.
The report was based on desk research and interviews with 22 stakeholders from public bodies, European and international organisations, and civil society groups. It makes 43 recommendations covering law reform, victim identification, child protection, prosecution, prevention, partnership working and data collection.
What the report says about child trafficking in Ireland
Eighteen child trafficking victims were identified in the State last year. The available figures do not provide a detailed breakdown by gender, nationality or type of exploitation. However, most of the children were identified by staff working at the International Protection Office, where asylum applications are processed.
None of the identified victims was born in Ireland. IHREC says this raises serious questions about whether authorities are identifying children who were born or raised in the State but are being exploited by criminal networks.
The report states that this pattern does not reflect figures cited for the United Kingdom and European Union, where many identified child victims are nationals of those jurisdictions or are exploited within their own country.
Who is most vulnerable?
Child trafficking can affect children in different circumstances. The report highlights particular risks for:
- migrant children and children seeking international protection;
- children living in State care;
- young people in families experiencing poverty or limited support;
- children connected to criminal networks through family or community relationships; and
- young people targeted through online platforms and social media.
Children may be trafficked for sexual exploitation, forced labour, begging, forced marriage, organ removal or criminal exploitation. The report identifies criminal exploitation as an area likely to become increasingly significant.
18 child trafficking victims were identified in Ireland last year; none was recorded as being born in Ireland; and the report warns that children as young as eight may be drawn into drug-gang activity.
Children as young as eight reportedly drawn into criminality
The report says children as young as eight have been trafficked into activity connected with drug gangs. In some cases, older children may be involved in recruiting or influencing younger children.
Grooming can make it difficult for children to resist pressure or leave a criminal network. The report points to fear, the social standing associated with membership and a lack of family support as factors that can keep children trapped.
Contributors also expressed concern that some State agencies may not consistently recognise the grooming and recruitment of children into criminal exploitation as child abuse and a trafficking offence. That gap in understanding can affect how a child is treated from the first contact with authorities through to any later court or protection process.
Online platforms create new trafficking risks
Social media and digital communication platforms are identified as important tools for sourcing and grooming vulnerable young people. The report names platforms including Snapchat, TikTok and Roblox while stressing that technology is changing rapidly.
Organised crime groups can adapt quickly to new online spaces, making it difficult for child protection services, schools and families to identify emerging patterns. IHREC says further research is needed into how digital platforms are being used in recruitment and control.
Training, awareness campaigns and digital literacy are among the measures recommended in response. These efforts would need to help professionals and young people recognise grooming, coercion and manipulative online contact before exploitation escalates.
What changes does the report recommend?
The recommendations are focused on ensuring that child protection is the first response when a young person is suspected of being exploited.
- Create a new referral mechanism: referrals should be rooted in child protection and provide access to a full range of appropriate services.
- Apply the legal definition consistently: agencies should use a clear and shared understanding of child trafficking.
- Improve professional training: frontline workers need guidance on grooming, criminal exploitation and online recruitment.
- Strengthen prevention: children, families and communities should receive information about trafficking risks.
- Improve data collection: more detailed information is needed on victims, exploitation types and identification routes.
Better data would help reveal whether children born in Ireland are being missed and whether particular regions, services or groups face heightened risks.
What happens next?
The report does not suggest that every child involved in criminal activity is currently being recognised as a trafficking victim. Its central warning is that authorities must examine the circumstances behind a child’s behaviour rather than assuming that offending conduct tells the whole story.
Implementation of the recommendations would require cooperation between child protection services, An Garda Síochána, schools, health services, courts, immigration authorities and community organisations. It would also require a system capable of supporting children who may fear retaliation or distrust public agencies.
Frequently asked questions
What is child trafficking?
The United Nations definition includes recruiting, transporting, harbouring or receiving a child for exploitation. Unlike adult trafficking, movement is not required for a child to be considered trafficked.
Why can criminally exploited children be blamed?
Children may be judged by the criminal acts they are forced or pressured to carry out. The report says this can obscure grooming, coercion, fear and their limited ability to leave a network.
Can Irish-born children be trafficking victims?
Yes. The report’s concern is that the absence of Irish-born children among last year’s identified cases may indicate failures in detection, rather than an absence of risk.
Why does online activity matter?
Social media and gaming-related platforms can provide access to vulnerable young people and allow grooming to take place away from traditional safeguarding settings.
Why this matters for Ireland
The report presents child trafficking as a child protection issue as well as a criminal justice issue. A young person carrying drugs, committing theft or supporting a gang may also be experiencing threats, grooming and exploitation.
The key takeaway from this Breaking News report is that Ireland’s response must look beyond the visible offence. Identifying coercion early, protecting children from retaliation and providing sustained support could help prevent exploited young people from being pushed deeper into criminal networks.
