World Cup Prostitution
Mania vs. Facts
Almost every day I get reports of yet another group using the huge brothel
nearby and portable min brothels at the world cup as an excuse to make a huge
international issue about "trafficking" of poor children etc forced into
prostitution. The German government has reported there is no evidence of any
forced trafficking, but facts get in the way of the anti prostitution groups to
make this a huge issue.
Remember in the U.S. "trafficking" includes consenting adult prostitution not
just forced prostitution which is defined as "extreme trafficking". So whenever
you hear from the Bush Administration the word trafficking it includes private
consenting adult sexwork unlike what the term implies to most folks (forced).
"Exploitation" also refers to consenting adults choosing sexwork since
officially all women who are in sexwork are exploited, there is no such thing in
the Bush agenda for consenting adult private prostitution.
Yes I am sure some coerced trafficking may occurs, but its rare, illegal and
blown out of proportion. Private consenting adult sexwork is legal in almost all
the world without significant negative issues. In Germany brothel workers are
employees, covered by health care and pension plans. There are strict laws
against children or forced prostitution just like in the U.S. But again they use
the Word-cup as a platform to rally those against all forms of sexwork with
terrible fears of children being forced into prostitution to get the emotional
response they seek instead of facts about the vastly different kinds of sexwork
most of which has none of the issue they rile against.
Just one example
Catholic Family and Human Rights Institute Launches Email Petition to Stop
German World-Cup Prostitution
NEW YORK, June 16, 2006 (LifeSiteNews.com) – The Catholic Family and Human
Rights Institute has initiated a massive email campaign to enlist the support of
concerned people around the world in opposing the sexual exploitation of women
during the World Cup in Germany.
The German government has come under intense criticism for the country’s tacit
promotion of prostitution during the World Cup games now underway in the
country. In particular, human rights advocates have harshly condemned the
importation of 40,000 sex trade workers, many of whom they say are trafficked.
“These women come from desperately poor circumstances,” C-FAM said. “According
to reports, most will not speak German. Most are being 'sex trafficked' against
their wills. They are told that they are going to be models, waitresses, or some
other harmless occupation. Many will be brutally assaulted by intoxicated fans.”
“Whatever their circumstances, each and every one of these young women is
someone’s daughter, a child of god and deserves our protection! They do not
deserve to be exploited and sentenced to a life of misery to satisfy the sexual
appetites of soccer fans.” The pro-family advocacy organization is gathering
signatures for an email petition to be sent to the German government.
The United States Department has issued its fifth annual Trafficking in Persons
Report, along with the $82 million in anti-trafficking assistance our nation
provided to foreign governments and non-government organizations last year,
demonstrates our strong commitment to this cause. The TIP Report serves to
expose these despicable aspects of trafficking. It provokes, lauds, and
challenges. Countries including the United States, which is dealing with its own
trafficking problem, have been inspired to greater action against human
trafficking as a result of this unique compendium. By reading it, we hope you
are joining with us in the abolitionist movement of the 21st century to advance
freedom for the world's most vulnerable citizens." - Secretary of State
Condoleezza Rice
The Real Story
Munich prostitution raid
Source:
http://cbs.sportsline.com/worldcup/story/9494207 June 12 2006
A raid in Munich's red-light district found no signs of women forced into
prostitution for the World Cup, although police said Monday they found
significantly more prostitutes at work than usual. Officers raided 48 brothels
and checked six streetwalking zones in the Bavarian capital on Saturday night, a
day after the tournament opened.
A German man who had brought a 19-year-old Ukrainian woman to work at a brothel
was briefly detained on suspicion of human trafficking. He was released after
police found no evidence she had been forced into prostitution, spokesman
Andreas Ruch said. Police found that "all the businesses that were checked had
increased noticeably the number of prostitutes working for them during the World
Cup," Ruch said, estimating the number of prostitutes working in Munich has
risen to 800 from the usual 500. However, "the increase in guests that the
red-light scene was hoping for so far has failed to appear," Ruch said.
Before the World Cup, anticipation of a sex-trade boom raised fears of an
increase in forced prostitution, with an estimated 40,000 women from poorer
Eastern European countries forecast to head to Germany for the tournament --
some possibly against their will. Already, the European Union estimates more
than 100,000 women in Europe each year are forced into prostitution. (this kind
of hysteria brings in lots of money to the organizations that make this such an
overblown issue vs. women who choose to be sexworkers)
Prostitution is legal in Germany, with about 400,000 people registered in the
trade.