[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
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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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