Legalise prostitution, presidential committee says

Prostitution is a cash cow for the Romanian government.

"(...) The Association for the Promotion of Women in Romania opposes legalized prostitution, as they view prostitution as "another form of violence against women and girls".[83]

Romania is among the 11 countries listed by the United Nations as the biggest sources of human trafficking, based on reported numbers of victims. [84] Every year thousands of women and girls, some as young as 13, are kidnapped or lured by promises of well-paid jobs or marriage and sold to gangs who lock them up in night clubs and brothels or force them to work on the streets.[84] Homeless children in Romania have increasingly been trafficked under false pretenses and forced into prostitution in Berlin and Hamburg, Germany and Amsterdam, Netherlands. [85] (...)"

 Source: "Prostitution in Europe" - Wikipedia

Romania - Facts on Trafficking and Prostitution

Trafficking

Trafficking in women from and to Romania is widespread. Recent cases suggest there are trafficking routes between Romania, Turkey, Cyprus and Thailand. ("International Workshop on Trafficking in Women in Central and Eastern Europe, Budapest," IOM, 4-5 October 1997)

Prostitution

There are approximately 2,000 homeless children in Romania. Many of them are forced to accept money for sex to survive. AIDS is an increasing problem. (Harold Briley, "Bitter winter for Romania's street children," BBC, 2 January 1998)

5% of the homeless children in Romania are in prostitution. The main railway station in Bucharest is a main area for children in prostitution. Romanian police are increasingly arresting foreign pedophiles. Homeless children in Romania have increasingly been trafficked under false pretenses and forced into prostitution in Berlin and Hamburg, Germany and Amsterdam, Holland. (Save the Children study, Albert Clack, "Romania: Life on the streets," http://www.foreignwire.com/abuse.html, 1998)

Prostitution Tourism

The 2,000 homeless children in Bucharest are easy prey for child prostitution tourists. (Charity groups, "Romania court jails British priest on sex charges," Reuters, 9 July 1998) [catwlog9807b]

Approximately 50 pedophiles, from Germany, France and Great Britain, posing as tourists or businessmen "rent apartments where they abuse children after bribing or coercing them." (Save the Children, "Romania holds British child sex suspect," Reuters, 7 August 1997, [catwlog9709d])

Bucharest has become an attractive destination for well-organized pedophiles due to an estimated 2,000 children living in squalor on the city's streets and around the main railway station. ("Romania holds British child sex suspect," Reuter, 7 August 1997, [catwlog9709d])

Official Response and Action

Seven French men were convicted in Draguignan, France under a new French law for child sex tourism in Romania. They were sentenced to 5-15 years. (BBC, "French court jails men for sex tourism under new law," 29 October 1997)

Cases

A Bucharest court has sentenced Michael Taylor, a Church of England priest, to 2-1/2 years in jail (less than the maximum of 7) on charges of having unlawful sex with a 14-year-old Romanian boy. ("Romania court jails British priest on sex charges," Reuters, 9 July 1998)

3 Romanians and 5 foreign men from England, Austria, Germany, Switzerland and the United States were arrested between October 1996 and August 1997 for unlawful sex with underage boys. Only the Austrian was sentenced to one year in prison. But the sentence was suspended and he was expelled. ("Romania holds British child sex suspect," Reuters, 7 August 1997)

Pornography

Pornography, child prostitution and trafficking in minors have become rampant since the 1989 anti-communist revolt ended its' strict social controls. ("Romania holds British child sex suspect," Reuters, 7 August 1997)

 Source: CATW Factbook on Global Sexual Exploitation