Título VI. Protección de testigos de trata de personas

For the protection of the witnesses of trafficking in persons, the provisions mentioned in Decree Number 70-96 of the Congress of the Republic, Law for the protection of procedural subjects and persons linked to the administration of criminal justice, shall be taken into account.

The Ministry of the Interior, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Public Prosecutor's Office shall implement, coordinate and execute measures for the search for the relatives and acquaintances of victims and witnesses who may be in danger, in addition to creating, coordinating and executing appropriate witness protection programs with national or foreign institutions.

If during the investigation of the crime of trafficking in persons, the competent authorities learn the identity of the victim, they shall immediately seek out any person who may be in danger by reason of their relationship with the victim and place them under the protection mentioned in Decree Number 70-96 of the Congress of the Republic.

Such persons shall remain under the protection program until it is deemed appropriate to withdraw such protection.

If the person is outside the national territory, the corresponding authority shall immediately notify the competent authorities of the country in which that person is located of the danger facing the persons mentioned in the first paragraph, so that protection is provided to them.

The victim and the witness of trafficking in persons have the right to immediate communication with their family or with the persons they consider necessary to contact.

The statements of the witnesses may be ordered by means of real-time videoconference if the needs of the case so require. Recourse shall also be had to this means if the witness is in a foreign country for security reasons or due to his/her status as a repatriated person.

In all cases, visual contact between the minor victim and the accused shall be avoided.