In Spain, trafficking of human beings was incriminated in 2010 with the modification of the Penal Code, specifically with the inclusion of article 177bis. 1 The crime carries a harsher sentence when the victim is a minor. 2 Before this, forced prostitution and sexual exploitation had been punished, but the crimes were not established as it is set forth in the Palermo Protocol. This belated inclusion in the Spanish Penal Code, in contrast to its neighbouring European countries, has meant that the public administration does not have a consolidated plan of action, both in victim support and in the prosecution of the crime. This is particularly so in trafficking for the purpose of labour exploitation, which has barely been addressed or prosecuted (Meneses-Falcón, 2017). The scope of the phenomenon of trafficking differs depending on the exploitative purpose for which it is carried out. The most visible is trafficking with the purpose of sexual exploitation, since certain aspects that give it greater volume converge: a) the partial decriminalisation of procuring (pimping) in the Penal Code of 1995, which allowed greater tolerance toward the third-party organisation of sexual commerce (Meneses-Falcón, 2017); b) the extra-legal status of prostitution has facilitated the creation of prostitution apartments, brothels and hostess bars (prostitution in Spain is neither regulated nor prohibited); c) the existence of a demand for paid sex with a very significant volume of business, which is among the highest in Europe (more than 20% of the male population has paid for sexual services) (Meneses-Falcón et al., 2015). Trafficking for the purpose of labour exploitation occurs in the more precarious labour markets, which require cheap and temporary manual 1 Whoever, using violence, intimidation or deceit, or abusing a situation of superiority or need, or the vulnerability of a national or foreign victim, or through the delivery or receipt of payment or benefits to achieve the consent of the person who possesses control over the victim, were to capture, induce, transport, transfer, receive or house such a victim, including the exchange or transfer of control over the victim, for any of the purposes described below, within Spain, from Spain, in transit or with destination therein, shall be convicted of human trafficking and punished with the penalty of five to eight years imprisonment: a) Imposing on the victim forced work or services, slavery or practices similar to slavery or servitude or begging; b) Sexual exploitation, including pornography; c) Exploitation in order to perform criminal activities; d) Extraction of their bodily organs; e) The celebration of forced marriage. A situation of need or vulnerability exists when the person in question has no other alternative, real or acceptable, to being subjected to abuse. 2 Article 177bis.2. Under 18. FINANCING OF TRAFFICKING IN HUMAN BEINGS IN SPAIN Carmen Meneses-Falcón, Santiago Urío Rodríguez and Jorge Uroz-Olivares