NEW DELHI – Of an estimated 20 million commercial sex workers in India, 16million women and girls are victims of sex trafficking, according tonon-governmental organisations.

According to Indian government data, less than half of the more than 8,000human trafficking cases reported in 2016 were filed in court by the policeand the conviction rate in cases that did go to trial was 28 percent.

The 2017 Trafficking in Persons report by the U.S. State Department statedthat victim identification and protection in India is “inadequate andinconsistent”.

Campaigners welcomed court verdict against den owners, saying it shouldencourage other victims to come forward.

“It is heartening to see that more and more survivors of trafficking arecoming forward in their fight for justice leading to more convictions,”said Adrian Phillips, legal head of the anti-trafficking charity Justiceand Care.