For centuries, Gypsies have lived on the margins of society and suffered brutal discrimination. Many make a living by begging and stealing, but over the past two decades, organized crime has taken hold, with Roma children trafficked and exploited in large numbers since Romania joined the European Union in 2007. Eight-year-olds robbing grown men at ATMs have become a common sight in Spain. In Italy, a major police investigation has found enslaved children kept in huts like animals.
This is just the tip of the iceberg, which we will have to contend with for a long time to come. Liviu Tipurita grew up in Romania and has been making films about gypsies and child trafficking for years. To investigate what happened to these children, he embarks on a journey that will take him into the closed world of the Gypsy community and expose the shocking tide of racism they face. These children are victims of a criminal culture and society that seems to have failed them. The question is: will someone save them from the exploiters?
It’s the week before Christmas in Madrid, a time of joy and anticipation for Spanish children, but Liviu comes because he has heard that many gypsy children from Romania are working as thieves in the city. As he wanders through the center of town, he sees gypsy beggars, but something more sinister is happening there. As he was walking back to the hotel, he saw a girl hanging around the ATM. She’s no older than 13, and at first glance she appears to be begging, but she’s actually watching customers enter their PIN numbers and approaching them as they try to withdraw money.
Covering her hand with a sheet of paper, she tried to press the highest button available on the cache machine and took the money as soon as it came out. She was a distracted thief, and police said the gypsy children made up a third of all children under the age of 17 in the city.
