The obligation to provide assistance and support to child victims of trafficking is even more
extensive and is set out in Article 14 of the Directive. Under this provision States must undertake
‘an individual assessment of the special circumstances of each particular child victim, taking
due account of the child’s views, needs and concerns with a view to finding a durable solution
for the child’. The child must also, within a reasonable time, be provided with access to
education. In addition Article 14(2) requires the appointment of a guardian or representative for a
child victim of trafficking from the moment the child is identified as such by the authorities, and
where the holders of parental responsibility are precluded from ensuring the child’s best interest,
or where the child is unaccompanied (Article 16(3)). The appointment of such a representative is
currently discretionary.
Finally, the Directive requires Member States to establish a national rapporteur or an equivalent
mechanism ‘to carry out an assessment of trends in trafficking in human beings, the measuring
of the results of anti-trafficking actions, including the gathering of statistics, and reporting’
(Article 19).