[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 59 (Monday, May 15, 2006)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E830]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   GERMANY'S WORLD CUP BROTHELS: WOMEN AND CHILDREN AT GRAVE RISK OF 
                              EXPLOITATION

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. CHRISTOPHER H. SMITH

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                          Monday, May 15, 2006

  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, recently I chaired a hearing of 
the Africa, Global Human Rights and International Operations 
Subcommittee regarding the deadly combination of international sporting 
events and legalized prostitution, which creates an increased risk that 
women and children will be trafficked for the purpose of sexual 
exploitation. In approximately one month, athletes and fans will be 
gathering for one of the premiere, world-wide sporting events of our 
day, the 2006 FIFA World Cup. The Subcommittee heard testimony on 
reports that the World Cup will sadly be an impetus for the 
exploitation of women. For most soccer fans like myself, this 
quadrennial spectacle is the showcase of world class athleticism and 
teamwork, but looming in its shadow is the very real potential that the 
World Cup matches will be a catalyst and magnet for sex trafficking 
into Germany.
  The World Cup opens on June 9, and over the course of one month at 12 
venues throughout Germany, national soccer teams from around the world 
will be playing. Millions of fans will join in the festivities. For the 
last year, the German Government has been preparing for this sports 
bonanza, coordinating security efforts with all neighboring countries, 
and attending to the myriad of details associated with such major 
international events. There is no doubt that human traffickers have 
also been working overtime to exploit this opportunity to improve their 
illicit revenues through the expected rise in demand, especially in the 
so-called sex industry.
  Today we join our counterparts in the European Union who have 
expressed their worries that there will be an explosion of prostitution 
and trafficking during the time of the World Cup. The European 
Parliament rightfully recognized in their resolution passed on March 15 
that major sporting events result in a ``temporary and spectacular 
increase in the demand for sexual services.'' A number of actions were 
outlined that should be undertaken by Germany and their European 
neighbors, as well as by the sports associations involved, to warn 
potential victims and assist those who are trafficked, to ``roundly 
condemn trafficking in human beings and forced prostitution'', and to 
inform and educate the general public and potential clients in an 
effort to curb the demand.
  During the February meeting in Vienna, as Head of the U.S. Delegation 
and as Special Representative on Human Trafficking for the OSCE 
Parliamentary Assembly, I vigorously raised concerns about the 
trafficking prevention efforts for this event. I was joined by other 
European parliamentarians who were sobered by the expectation that, 
especially since the matches are being held in Germany which legalized 
pimping and prostitution in 2001, the World Cup fans would be legally 
free to rape women in brothels or even in mobile units designed 
specifically for this form of exploitation. Of the approximately 
400,000 prostitutes in Germany, it is estimated that 75 percent of 
those who are abused in these houses of prostitution are foreigners, 
many from Central and Eastern Europe.

  Europeans and Americans are not the only ones who have trained their 
eyes on this explosive situation. Vivi Akakpo, West Africa coordinator 
for the All Africa Conference of Churches said, ``It is now public 
knowledge that organized syndicates have plans to bring in young women, 
particularly from Eastern Europe and from other poor countries, to 
Germany in time for the World Soccer Cup 2006.'' The EU Justice and 
Home Affairs Council meeting last week adopted a commendable list of 
best practices which should be undertaken by member states holding 
major international events. Among the seven initiatives was the 
commitment to develop and implement measures that discourage the demand 
for trafficking victims.
  All EU member states to some extent are affected by trafficking in 
women. Significant numbers of trafficked women coming to Germany are 
from Ukraine, Bulgaria, Russia, Belarus, Lithuania and Romania. Law 
enforcement reports that large enterprises and international networks 
run an organized ``industry'' with political support and economic 
resources in countries of origin, transit and destination. Corrupt 
officials are often implicated.
  Traffickers use a variety of methods to recruit and move their 
victims, often utilizing legal avenues to illegally traffic women and 
children. Legitimate travel documents can be obtained for ``trips to 
Germany'' for the women and such documents as visas and passports are 
used to cross international borders, after which the trafficking 
victims disappear or overstay their visas. Traffickers, however, also 
use fraudulent documents to obtain genuine travel documents or use 
altered or counterfeit papers, thus making it more difficult for law 
enforcement to detect a trafficking victim.
  Those that work with the victims of human trafficking have reported 
that trafficking of women and girls for the so-called sex industry 
usually heightens during international sports events. According to the 
BKA (the German Federal Criminal Investigation Office) annual report in 
2001, an inquiry of 414 trafficked women revealed that 45 percent were 
forced into prostitution through violence, torture, rape or 
intimidation. Research conducted by Melissa Farley at Prostitution 
Research & Education found that 71 percent of women surveyed were 
physically assaulted while engaged in prostitution and 89 percent 
wanted to escape prostitution.
  I am aware that the German Government is supporting public awareness 
efforts regarding trafficking for forced prostitution in the context of 
the World Cup. This is a somewhat absurd effort given that the 
infrastructure of legalized prostitution allowed in Germany is gearing 
up to expand its capacity during the World Cup and there is every 
reason to believe that the ``new recruits'' into prostitution will be 
trafficked women and girls. I see this as flagrant state complicity in 
promoting sex trafficking.
  As Sister Lea Ackermann, the Catholic nun in Germany who founded 
SOLWODI--SOLIDARITY with Women in Distress, has declared, ``We have 
decided to flash the `red card' to those prostitution profiteers'' who 
are taking advantage of the World Cup crowds. The president of the 
German Soccer Federation, Theo Zwanziter, came to the conclusion that 
they needed to change the Federation's position on prostitution after 
he became aware of the horrors that women forced into prostitution 
face. As the federation president has recognized, ``We did 
underestimate the whole issue [of prostitution] and I regret that, I 
say it quite openly.''
  Ladies and gentlemen, it is time for Chancellor Merkel to take a 
stand and speak out against the exploitation of women and children in 
the name of sport. I would encourage her government to turn the tables 
beginning now with the World Cup, and commit to reversing Germany's 
laws on prostitution. We can all join together in the fight to combat 
human trafficking and make the forced prostitution of women and girls 
more difficult for the traffickers.
  The Trafficking Victims Protection Act requires that every year the 
United States Department of State analyze and report on the problem of 
trafficking in persons around the world. If Germany is providing direct 
or indirect sanction for sex trafficking, then Germany does not deserve 
to be ranked as a tier one country.
  As the world will turn its attention to soccer, those committed to 
ending the tragedy of trafficking of women and girls for sexual 
exploitation will be watching how Germany protects the most vulnerable. 
I hope that the German Government is ready.




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