Safeguarding victims and witnesses: combating trafficking in persons and smuggling of migrants in Ecuador.

Abstract

This critical-legal study addresses the lack of effective protection in the victim and witness protection system in the crimes of human trafficking and migrant smuggling in Ecuador. Using a non-experimental approach, theoretical methods such as induction-deduction, documentary analysis and comparative law were used. The research is classified as legal dogmatic and legal sociological since it identifies gaps in the regulations and analyzes their impact on society. The scope of the study is propositional, analytical, and explanatory. As a result, the creation of a section specifically dedicated to these cases in the victim and witness protection system in Ecuador is proposed, with the aim of improving its effectiveness and providing more adequate protection.