Recruiters target vulnerable people, lawyer says

Recruiters can identify how to manipulate a person from their voice and intonation, lawyer Vitalijus Jaroščenka told LRT.lt. He said people are often drawn in with attention and hope, only to end up in even more difficult circumstances.

“Just show a person attention and hope that there is a possibility, and they will try to do it. They will think they are clinging to life and trying to escape their environment, but in reality they will end up in an even more difficult environment,” Jaroščenka said.

The lawyer, who works in Jonava and represents people affected by human trafficking and exploitation, said vulnerable people are more likely to come to exploiters’ attention. They may have grown up in a vulnerable family or become vulnerable because of circumstances such as divorce or the death of a close relative.

Jaroščenka previously worked as a prosecutor but changed his specialisation after becoming a lawyer. As a prosecutor, he dealt almost exclusively with criminal cases. As a lawyer, he works on criminal, civil and administrative cases.

He said his prosecutorial experience helps him understand victims’ interests and represent them. In some cases, however, victims do not receive help from the state even when they have clearly suffered harm.

He cited fraud cases in which criminals exploit vulnerable people by taking out loans in their names or persuading them to take out loans. Proving that a person did not agree to the action and that it was carried out against their will can be difficult, he said.

Jaroščenka said exploitation exists both in Lithuania and abroad. Demand for cheap labour can lead to exploitation in sectors such as agriculture and construction. People arriving in Lithuania from third countries may be particularly vulnerable because they lack information about local laws.

He said it was difficult to assess how human trafficking in Lithuania had changed over the past decade. Exploitation itself had not disappeared, but Lithuanian laws had changed, he said.

Previously, the legal definition of exploitation was more limited in Lithuania than under international legal instruments. The concept is now gradually being expanded, with different situations being analysed and reflected in criminal cases, Jaroščenka said.

The most common forms of exploitation he encounters involve labour and illegal businesses. Minors may also be exploited to commit thefts. In the past, people were frequently sent abroad to work or were promised the chance to earn money through prostitution, which international legal instruments classify as a form of exploitation.