Unaccompanied child migrants throughout Europe are being exploited by powerful drug syndicates to work in the booming cocaine trade

Bad news! 

Cowardly criminals who abuse children for their crimes should automatically face at least the double legal punishment on conviction!

"In an investigative series, The Guardian dug into the human toll of Europe’s cocaine addiction—including the “industrial-scale” exploitation of migrant children. 

Among the findings:

Hundreds of vulnerable North African children have been trafficked to sell drugs at the street level—and are also deployed as foot soldiers in “commission of violent attacks,” per a recent Europol analysis. 

Child protection agencies warn that the gangs are using torture and rape to control victims. 

Especially vulnerable: Children from Morocco and Algeria have been primary targets.

Last year Brussels police referred 623 unaccompanied children from Morocco and Algeria to the city’s safeguarding service. 

One nonprofit in Brussels, Child Focus, recorded 332 “worrying” disappearances of minors last year. 

Officials say children from nations in conflict like Sudan and Afghanistan face increasing risk. 

Massive market: 4X more Europeans use cocaine than two decades ago—fueling a £10 billion market."

Global Health NOW: Children Exploited for Europe’s Cocaine Trade; Villages Trapped by Kenya Floods; and HIV: Longer Lifespans, Limited Funds