Former CEU CPS researcher, Viktoria Sebhelyi, honored by U.S. Department of State

Former research fellow at CPS, Viktoria Sebhelyi, is among the group of eight selected by the US Department of State in 2017 to be given an award for her exceptional work in the field of fight against human trafficking.

Each year, the Department of State honors individuals around the world who have devoted their lives to the fight against human trafficking. These individuals are NGO workers, lawmakers, police officers, and concerned citizens who are committed to ending modern slavery. They are recognized for their tireless efforts—despite resistance, opposition, and threats to their lives—to protect victims, punish offenders, and raise awareness of ongoing criminal practices in their countries and abroad.

Viktoria Sebhelyi is a Hungarian sociologist and human rights activist whose groundbreaking research has been instrumental in increasing awareness and understanding of human trafficking among policymakers and NGO service providers in Hungary. Known as both an academic expert on the issue and a dedicated advocate, Ms. Sebhelyi has galvanized government and NGO actors to collaborate on enhancing protections for victims.

She worked as a researcher and legal analyst between 2013 and 2015 at the Central European University’s Center for Policy Studies in the frame of the CONFRONT project, writing the report ´Child Trafficking in Hungary: Sexual Exploitation, Forced Begging and Pickpocketing´ on the prevalence and characteristics of child sex trafficking in Hungary—the first of its kind.

For more information about the U.S. Department of State award, see https://www.state.gov/j/tip/rls/tiprpt/2017/271116.htm.