HTI’s Special Counsel Leads Training of 60 Investigators in Uganda

by | May 11, 2021

In April, HTI’s Special Counsel Tyler Dunman led two training sessions for 60 attendees from the Ugandan Directorate of Criminal Investigations. Each training took place over two days and attendees received instruction from Dunman, investigators, prosecutors, and service providers on prosecution-led and victim-centered investigative techniques.

Each session covered essential topics like investigative processes for human trafficking cases, proper interview techniques that avoid re-traumatizing victims, and established procedures for referring victims to necessary services.

The trainings also covered a new field guide for investigators created by HTI staff in Uganda. The resource provides guidance for investigators for every stage of a human trafficking investigation, from identifying a possible case to preparing to present evidence in court. Attendees were excited to bring the field guide back to their offices and utilize the tool in future investigations. Investigators requested extra copies of the guide so they could teach their colleagues the proper investigative techniques outlined inside.

These investigator trainings are the first of many that will be provided by HTI staff in Uganda this year. Two more sessions will be held in May for another 60 attendees. Training police and prosecutors to identify, investigate, and charge human trafficking cases is a key component of the HTI model. In 2020, soon after the start of Dunman’s trainings in Uganda, the number of investigations, prosecutions, and victims protected by local police and prosecutors more than doubled when compared to 2019. The 2021 training schedule will ensure even more officials are prepared to investigate human trafficking cases and continue to improve these case numbers in Uganda.

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