Sex slaves?

[BrianW]

Just watched a long PBS story about human trafficking on PBS. It was about girls from Ukraine and Moldova that are sold into prostitution in Turkey. Totally heartbreaking. One woman was going to become a prostitute so she could help repay her brothers debt for surgery. Terrible.

I have an adopted cousin from Kazakhstan who is amazing. She was an orphan. The same fate could have awaited her. I'm 26.

I'm planning on becoming fairly wealthy when I "grow up" (who isn't at my age?) 

I'm going to do everything I can to help these people (orphans, the poor, the downtrodden in the FSU) when I have the means.

This is my mission in life.

[BillyB]

I'm going to do everything I can to help these people (orphans, the poor, the downtrodden in the FSU) when I have the means.

This is my mission in life.

Join law enforcement and you have a chance in helping people of all walks of life and get paid for it.

200,000 FSU women were taken to Europe in sex slave trade according to one article I read. Some are promised jobs, marriage or educational opportunities and when they arrive to Europe since it's easy to get a visa, their passports are taken away by the pimps/bad guys and they are beat into submission. They are forced to work in the commercial sex industry until they are too old and unwanted or finished paying off their dept. I assume many of the women grow accustommed to the lifestyle and continue to work on their own free will since they make good money or because the drugs they've gotten into might have control over them. Once into hard drugs, they have to feed the need and it cost money.

A friend of mine from Germany says a guy can go to certain cities in Germany where certain street are reserved for the commercial sex industry. A guy walks down the street and at nearly every window in the buildings to the left and right sits a prostitute and a guy can pick the one that tickles his fancy. One guy looks at woman in a window and sees fun. I see a sad story.

[dogspot]

Brian, Do you recall the name of the program?

Billy, Are you a cop?

[BrianW]

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/slaves/making/

[BillyB]

No, but good cops can make a difference in their local communities. Depending on the cop, they almost on a daily basis deal with some of the worst people in society and have some power to remove them off the street or guard them in a prison cell. BrianW should feel good even if he's a prison guard keeping murderers, rapists, child molestors, pimps and other monsters behind bars. If he thinks he going to save the World, he will fail but he can contribute on a smaller scale.

[BrianW]

Being a police officer isn't for me. But, I'm going to find other ways to help.............

[acrzybear]

No, but good cops can make a difference in their local communities. Depending on the cop, they almost on a daily basis deal with some of the worst people in society and have some power to remove them off the street or guard them in a prison cell. BrianW should feel good even if he's a prison guard keeping murderers, rapists, child molestors, pimps and other monsters behind bars. If he thinks he going to save the World, he will fail but he can contribute on a smaller scale.

When I first started back in the 90's I thought I could change the world, but I have come to the realization that perhaps I can make a small difference in my little part of this  world.  This last month had been brutal for Law Enforcement, one of the Sergeants I trained was shot and her career is possibly over, Washington has had 5 Officers ambushed and killed.  Yep, things are only going to get worse.

[BillyB]

Being a police officer isn't for me. But, I'm going to find other ways to help.............

IMO, the best way to stop the sex slave trade is if the governments get involved. FSU nations and Asian nations don't keep good track of their citizens leaving the country and when they are supposed to come back. Western nations who have a liberal view on commercial sex may not put too much recources/law enforcement to figure out who the few sex slaves are among the many legal prostitutes. Maybe you can petition them to make some changes? You're just one man but with enough media exposure and men like you, you might make a difference.


 

This last month had been brutal for Law Enforcement, one of the Sergeants I trained was shot and her career is possibly over, Washington has had 5 Officers ambushed and killed.  Yep, things are only going to get worse.

Bear, although the media puts the bad cops in the spotlight most of the time, most of us know the truth and appreciate what you guys do out there. Most cops have a heart, soul, feelings, and you have families too. Since those 4 cops in Washington, 3 men and one woman, were murdered a few days ago in a coffee shop, there are now 9 kids with one less parent. Recently they tracked down the murderer and he was shot dead. That's the best news I've heard today.

[BrianW]

Here is the response I got from the Producer.




Dear Brian,


Thanks so much for your interest in our film and in helping the women who so generously shared their stories with us.  Since the film was initially broadcast, we have received many requests from people who wish to help the women in the film directly.  We were unable to find an NGO who could direct money to private individuals, so we decided to set up a trust account and do it ourselves. If you wish to make a donation, you can send a cheque or money order payable to:
 
AP NSS Productions Ltd. In Trust for Victims of Trafficking

Please send to:
Associated Producers Ltd.
110 Spadina Avenue
Suite 1001
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
M5V 2K4
 
Please include your email address if you wish, so we can keep you informed as to how much money was raised and how it helped these women.  We also get letters from them, which we pass along to the donors so that you can keep apprised of their progress.
 
Many people have asked if all the money goes to the women.  The answer is yes, but for bank charges and any charges incurred to get the money to them.  Also, if you want to earmark your donation to someone specific, please let us know and we will adhere to your wishes.  We are unable to issue charitable receipts, as we are not a registered charity.  We are doing this on account of the groundswell of support from viewers like you.
 
This film was made several years ago and the women’s lives have changed since the initial broadcast in February 2007.  Tania has used some of the money that was donated to buy herself a small house in a village where she could find work and where her daughter could go to school.  This has been a very positive change in her life.  She is still struggling financially, but is no longer vulnerable to traffickers as she has been able to find work and make a decent life for herself. Viorel and Katia split up last year.  Katia moved to Odessa and has found short-term jobs here and there, but has had trouble piecing her life back together.  Sadly, she recently learned that she has cervical cancer and is undergoing chemotherapy.  Life has not treated her kindly. 
 
If you want to help victims of trafficking in general or learn more about what is being done, you can go to the PBS website (www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/slaves) and find links to organizations that do work in this area under the “Estimating the Numbers” section on this homepage. You can also visit www.humantrafficking.org for more information and links to other organizations.
 
Again, thank you for your interest in helping and for taking the time to write to us.  If you require any further information, please don’t hesitate to contact us.
 
Sincerely,
 
Ric Bienstock
Director/Producer

[Boethius]

Kudos to you, Brian, for looking into that. 

The number of women in Ukraine alone sold into prostitution is 300,000 annually.  That includes domestic and international numbers.

Victor Malarek wrote a very good book about this (a bit dated now) called The Natashas.  Last year, he wrote another book from the other side, no how to solve the problem, called The Johns.

[BC]

The number of women in Ukraine alone sold into prostitution is 300,000 annually.  That includes domestic and international numbers.

That's a pretty big number being thrown about..

Number of women that go into or work as prostitutes, maybe.. sold into prostitution against their will?.. every year? Will need a little substantiation to munch on that figure.

[BillyB]

Kudos to you, Brian, for looking into that. 

The number of women in Ukraine alone sold into prostitution is 300,000 annually.  That includes domestic and international numbers.

Victor Malarek wrote a very good book about this (a bit dated now) called The Natashas.  Last year, he wrote another book from the other side, no how to solve the problem, called The Johns.

Agree with BC, that number is way too big. At the rate of 300,000 annually, in a matter of decades all Ukrainian women will be working as slaves.

Boethius, sometimes organizations, media or people throw out statistics that shock you so you will react in a way they want. Maybe they want you to join their cause or send them some money. The thing that scares humanity the most now is Global Warming. It was found recently the leading scientists on climate were cooking the books and omitting critical data from the 80's. They were discussing in email how to alter the charts to give the impression things are very bad. There's hundreds of trillions of dollars at stake here because if there is no Global Warming, there's no need to raise taxes to combat it.

Major media networks, ABC, NBC, and CBS and many newpapers did not put this infomation on their front page or on TV. You have to dig in their search engine to find damning info on GL. Why do media outlets and organizations hide stuff like this from you and at other times shock you with big numbers like you posted? It's done for your own good and the truth isn't always good....at least for them it isn't.

[SANDRO43]

TV newsflash today: the police broke up an Albanian ring importing Romanian girls with promises of jobs here - and forcing them into street prostitution after confiscating their documents and threatening them of death if uncooperative.

The unusual procedure followed by this ring was forcing the girls to carry/wear some GPS gadget that allowed to keep track of them outside the apartment where they were confined while not 'at work'. One of the girls eventually worked up enough courage to alert the police of her situation.

[Boethius]

That's a pretty big number being thrown about..

Number of women that go into or work as prostitutes, maybe.. sold into prostitution against their will?.. every year? Will need a little substantiation to munch on that figure.

I have followed this issue for well over a decade.  The figure I noted is a middle figure, between "official" stats and estimates by those who study this issue.  Harvard has published a fair bit on this issue, and human trafficking as well.  Human trafficking is now second only to the arm's trade in profit. 

Another good book on human trafficking in general is one by Benjamin Skinner, published by the Harvard Kennedy School's Carr Center for Human Rights Policy.

Ukraine developed a policy on trafficking some years ago, de facto abandoned now, though still on the books.  By Ukraine's own estimates one in four women is involved in prostitution (that is both forced and by choice).

Finally, keep in mind with that figure, that at times, there is a "double counting".  It is not unusual for a woman to be deported from a country, only to be sold right back into prostitution.

[RussianWind]

The thing that scares humanity the most now is Global Warming.

Who cares of Global warming today.
Next year it's gonna be fish flu coming from The Sahara... I already made my bet.

[Blues Fairy]

Western nations who have a liberal view on commercial sex may not put too much recources/law enforcement to figure out who the few sex slaves are among the many legal prostitutes. Maybe you can petition them to make some changes?

I am sure that in order for the slave rings to be in business, many local law enforcement officials, all the way up to the top, have to be part of the game.  Go ahead and petition them to do their job, yeah right.    

[Sculpto]

Agree with BC, that number is way too big. At the rate of 300,000 annually, in a matter of decades all Ukrainian women will be working as slaves.

Boethius, sometimes organizations, media or people throw out statistics that shock you so you will react in a way they want. Maybe they want you to join their cause or send them some money. The thing that scares humanity the most now is Global Warming. It was found recently the leading scientists on climate were cooking the books and omitting critical data from the 80's. They were discussing in email how to alter the charts to give the impression things are very bad. There's hundreds of trillions of dollars at stake here because if there is no Global Warming, there's no need to raise taxes to combat it.

Major media networks, ABC, NBC, and CBS and many newpapers did not put this infomation on their front page or on TV. You have to dig in their search engine to find damning info on GL. Why do media outlets and organizations hide stuff like this from you and at other times shock you with big numbers like you posted? It's done for your own good and the truth isn't always good....at least for them it isn't.

As is typical Billy you clearly did not read the details of the hacking that resulted in a very small amount of negative information regarding global warming and a very small number of scientists who have manipulated findings to procure funding.  As usual for you, you have blown it completely out of proportion, and are actively engaging in misinformation.  Also, you proclaim the information gathered in a criminal act of computer espionage to be somehow more legitimate than for example the entire legislature of Nepal who met this week on Everest to draw attention to the full scale disaster that is taking place in their environment due to industrial expansion in India. 

While I agree that Boethius may have her numbers a bit wrong, NO ONE HERE has any idea of the real scope of the prostitution problems in the FSU.  It IS an ongoing problem that is based in poverty, as it is everywhere in the world.  The part I doubt in regards to the FSU and documentaries such as Brian viewed is how much is actually forced and how much is actually chosen.  That part remains unclear and again, there is simply no way for anyone here to know the truth.

[BC]

While I agree that Boethius may have her numbers a bit wrong, NO ONE HERE has any idea of the real scope of the prostitution problems in the FSU.  It IS an ongoing problem that is based in poverty, as it is everywhere in the world.  The part I doubt in regards to the FSU and documentaries such as Brian viewed is how much is actually forced and how much is actually chosen.  That part remains unclear and again, there is simply no way for anyone here to know the truth.

http://www.uri.edu/artsci/wms/hughes/natasha.htm

Seems to have a fairly unbiased view of goings on at least in 2000. Some quotes from the article:

Trafficking is any practice that involves moving people within and across local or national borders for the purpose of sexual exploitation. Trafficking may be the result of force, coercion, manipulation, deception, abuse of authority, initial consent, family pressure, past and present family and community violence, economic deprivation, or other conditions of inequality for women and children.

This broad definition accepts that trafficking occurs even if the woman consents, which is consistent with the 1949 United Nations Convention for the Suppression of Traffic in Persons and of the Exploitation of the Prostitution of Others.

In 1998, the Ukrainian Ministry of Interior estimated that 400,000 Ukrainian women were trafficked during the previous decade

The International Organization for Migration estimated that between 1991 and 1998, 500,000 Ukrainian women had been trafficked to the West, with 100,000 of them literally enslaved in the sex industry. Popular destination countries for women from Ukraine include: Turkey, Greece, Cyprus, Italy, Spain, Yugoslavia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Hungary, Czech Republic, Croatia, Germany, United Arab Emirates, Syria, China, the Netherlands, Canada and Japan. According to a Ukrainian diplomatic source there are 6,000 Ukrainian women in prostitution in Turkey, 3,000 in Greece, and 1000 in Yugoslavia. Ukrainian women are the largest group of foreign women in prostitution in Turkey and the second largest group of foreign women in prostitution outside the U.S. military bases in Korea.

Not trying to downplay, whatever numbers are used they are still quite large.

They will probably never go away, but will only be diminished by improving economic conditions that won't make enticement into such dark corners so easy.

[Boethius]

There were no women trafficked from the USSR until late 1991.  

Women may agree to go work as prostitutes, but they don't typically agree to becoming the property of pimps, with no rights to leave.  Yet, those women are viewed as having "consented" to work as prostitutes. 

The 300,000 number I noted is both domestic and international.  You can find it in Ukrainian newspapers occasionally, but also in books about the subject.  Those, you won't find online.

Ukraine is not even the chief exporter of sex slaves.  Africa, particulalry Central Africa, is.

[BC]

There were no women trafficked from the USSR until late 1991.  

Women may agree to go work as prostitutes, but they don't typically agree to becoming the property of pimps, with no rights to leave.  Yet, those women are viewed as having "consented" to work as prostitutes. 

Internationally, probably not.. domestically.. who knows.

'no rights to leave'.. hmm.. think most do when their visa expire, and many return.  I'd wager most have their passports in hand.

[Boethius]

Their passports are taken away by pimps.  They are locked in rooms.  They are beaten and raped to make them more malleable.  They are told they can leave when they have worked off their "debt" of, say, $20,000.  They are charged room and board, for physicals, clothing, make up, etc., at inflated prices.  The only time that $20,000 debt is repaid is when they are too damaged too work anymore.

These women are beaten if they try to escape.  In Turkey, several women who did manage to escape after several attempts (usually, by jumping off a balcony) said they had to avoid police, who returned them to the pimps.

So absolutely they cannot leave.  

Ukrainians have very little chance of getting visas to the EU.  So how, exactly, are they going to leave with visas in hand?

ETA - In Arab countries, slavery is very common.  Many of the "guest workers" from third world countries are little more than slaves.  They work for far less than Westerners, and even then, a portion of their wages usually are not paid.  Their passports and visas are taken from them when they enter the country, and they have no rights to them, even when they wish to leave the country.

If you have an opportunity, talk to Filipinos who have worked in Saudi Arabia, or the UAE.  If they trust you, they will tell you stories of having to make their way, by stealth, to their embassy, where diplomats demanded their travel documents they could not otherwise obtain from employers.  Filipino men also say they never travelled alone, as male gang rape was extremely common, and they had no right to complain.

[BC]

Boethius,

There are indeed examples that go above and beyond urban myth, but I don't believe you or I possess the real bottom line and can only guess at the true extent of the problem.  You seem to dwell on absolute whereas I believe there is a good bit of gray involved.

I've even seen a brothel where a police station is built right in to the same building. Passport or not I've never seen a line forming at their door.  Take the 'big' cities like Hamburg, Amsterdam, Frankfurt filled with FSU women, heavily patrolled by friendly police.. a woman can simply walk out of their door and hop in their car.. instant green card if they can claim abuse.

We don't see or hear of 300.000 graves being found, only a few. The rest, IMHO vast majority, get back home somehow, someday.

[Sculpto]

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http://www.moscow-blog.com/2005/02/02/girls-prostitution-moscow/

http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/europe/07/18/russia.prostitution/index.html

[Boethius]

Boethius,

There are indeed examples that go above and beyond urban myth, but I don't believe you or I possess the real bottom line and can only guess at the true extent of the problem.  You seem to dwell on absolute whereas I believe there is a good bit of gray involved.

I've even seen a brothel where a police station is built right in to the same building. Passport or not I've never seen a line forming at their door.  Take the 'big' cities like Hamburg, Amsterdam, Frankfurt filled with FSU women, heavily patrolled by friendly police.. a woman can simply walk out of their door and hop in their car.. instant green card if they can claim abuse.

We don't see or hear of 300.000 graves being found, only a few. The rest, IMHO vast majority, get back home somehow, someday.

I am not really a black and white person, but there are some truths and, as I posted, I took a middle number, rather than one from the high end.

I never posted the women are murdered.  But that doesn't mean they are not forced into these situations.  At some point, they are no longer profitable, and there are always younger, fresher women to replace them.

As an aside, there are a lot of people who claimed there was no way 20 million plus Soviets died during the Stalinist period, because "where are the bodies"?

[Misha]

Their passports are taken away by pimps.  They are locked in rooms.  They are beaten and raped to make them more malleable.

It is always fascinating that the sex slavery inside Russia is always ignored. Let us take the case of Nizhny Tagil. A local gang captured local young women, killed dozens and forced untold numbers to become prostitutes. You can even read the summary of what happened on Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nizhny_Tagil_mass_murder_(2002-2007). And, this is simply one case. How many other cases have yet to be discovered or were simply not publicized? How many "sex slaves" from Moldova and Ukraine are working in Moscow and St. Petersburg? The Russian media always conveniently turns a blind eye to what goes on inside Russia while decrying trafficking of women in other countries.