Trafficking law criticised

THE justice system in Scotland is too slow to deal with the growing problem of child trafficking, experts have warned.

At least 80 children have been trafficked into Scotland to face sexual exploitation, forced labour, domestic servitude or to beg in the streets for gangs, according to an official estimate.

But prosecuting the criminals responsible needs reform of the law and systems, a conference on child trafficking held in the Capital was told yesterday.

Phil Taylor, regional director of the UK Border Agency, said: "There is an inability of the collective to bring these cases to trial. Foreign nationals are not going to hang about for three years to give evidence against traffickers."