restricting freedom of the press. Journalists who wrote reports critical of government policies and actions have claimed they were targets for harassment and intimidation during the 2004 Romanian presidential election. Romania was ranked 46th out of 178 countries in Reporters Without Borders' 2017 World Press Freedom Index; another report by Freedom House describes the Romanian press as "partly free". Human trafficking There has been a growing awareness of human trafficking as a human rights issue in Europe (see main article: Human trafficking in Romania). The end of communism has contributed to an increase in human trafficking, with the majority of victims being women forced into prostitution. Romania is a country of origin and country of transit for persons, primarily women and children, trafficked for the purpose of sexual exploitation. The Romanian government has shown some commitment to combat trafficking but has been criticized for failing to fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking. The new Romanian Criminal Code, which came into force on 1 February 2014, creates several offenses against slavery, human trafficking, child trafficking, pimping, forced labour, and using exploited persons (Art. 182 Exploitation of a person, Art. 209 Slavery, Art. 210 Trafficking in human beings, Art. 211 Trafficking in underage persons, Art. 212 Pressing into forced or compulsory labor, Art. 213 Pandering, Art. 214 Exploitation of beggary, Art. 216 Use of an exploited person’s services). Romania has ratified the Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings; and is also a party to the UN Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children. Children's rights Children's rights are protected by several laws; and Romania also has international obligations due to the conventions it has ratified. Children have equal rights, regardless of whether they were born inside or outside of marriage. This is stipulated in the Romanian Constitution, at Art. 48 (3) which states "Children born out of wedlock are equal before the law with those born in wedlock"; and also by Art. 260 of the civil code. In addition, Romania ratified The European Convention on the Legal Status of Children Born out of Wedlock, and, therefore, it is bound to ensure that children born outside marriage are provided with legal rights as stipulated in the text of this Convention. The [272/2004] Law on the protection and promotion of the rights of the child, republished in 2014