In the HEROES project, Centre for Women and Children Studies (CWCS) is leading the task on Child rights promotion and protection: awareness-raising, education and information. The task envision that the most effective way for promoting and protection of child rights is by raising awareness, educating and engaging civil society, teachers, parents, children and youth groups, social workers, local leaders, police officials and media groups.

In this context, Centre for Women and Children Studies launched the Red Heart Campaign to Promote Child Rights of Sexually Abused, Exploited and Trafficked Children on 30 July 2022 and called upon all to join our movement: Let us put our hearts together to save sexually abused, exploited and trafficked children.

As part of HEROES, funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme, Trilateral’s Research Analyst Jana Dilger conducted a case study on County Lines drug trafficking and Cuckooing in the UK – which highlighted how the phenomena link to human trafficking.

The UK Home Office defines County Lines as “gangs and organised criminal networks involved in exporting illegal drugs into one or more importing areas within the UK, using dedicated mobile phone lines” (2020). County Lines gangs resort to coercion, intimidation, and violence to exploit children and vulnerable adults who are used to move and store drugs as well as money. Cuckooing refers to drug dealers taking over a vulnerable person’s accommodation in provincial areas with the purpose of using their flat or house as their local drug dealing base.