The Situation in Germany

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A-Z guide to the situation in the Member States

Prostitutes, Pimps, Clients: defining the Sex Industry

To legalise prostitution is to deny civil and human rights

Failure to legalise prostitution is to deny civil and human rights

New Technologies and the Sex Industry

How Many Sex Workers?

Where do Europe's Sex workers come from?

What is Trafficking for the Purposes of Sexual Exploitation?

Can Legalising Prostitution bring an end to Trafficking for the Purposes of Sexual Exploitation?

Articles, Documents, Legal instruments, Pressure groups ...

 

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The information below is compiled from The European Parliment report Trafficking in Women, the World Sex Guide, Donna Hughes' Factbook on Sexual ExploitationFemmigration and other NGOs.

 

 

Population: 

80 million

Number of prostitutes:

300,000

Of which migrant:

150,000

 

De Jure

Prostitution:

Prostitution is legal. Pimping and promoting prostitution are illegal.

Trafficking:

There is a specific law against ‘Trafficking of women for sexual purposes’ which carries a 6 month to10 year sentence

"In 1993, the German federal law was amended to strengthen sanctions against traffickers, making them stricter than in most European countries. In the German penal code there are currently two paragraphs relating to trade in human beings, providing for sentences between six months and ten years."

 

De Facto

In Berlin, "While many brothels, sex clubs, massage parlours, and saunas are owned and operated by Germans, they are frequently under the financial control of foreign organised criminal groups, from Russia, Turkey, or former Yugoslavia" (European Parliament 2000)

Some claim over 75% of sex workers in Germany, Europe's most popular destination, are migrants.  Between 60% and 80% of the women trafficked into Germany come from eastern Europe, Russia or the New Independent States.

Germany's eastern borders are the focus of much activity, both in voluntary and coerced prostitution.  An example of prostitution on the Czech border is catalogued by Siden (.pdf)

German police are active against traffickers, though according to IOM, there is an extremely low incidence of actual convictions, often due to lack of evidence, and the difficulty of proving trafficking. 

 

"One hour with a woman can be purchased at many sex clubs in Germany for DM 130-150 (US$ 78-90). For thirty minutes or for meetings in apartments rather than in clubs and brothels, the price may be as little as DM 30-60 (US$ 18-36) with a condom or DM 70-100 (US$ 42-60) without a condom. An expert at the German Organised Crime Bureau has calculated that the average migrant prostitute earns DM 500 per day (US$ 300) and keeps DM 20 (US$ 12)."

(Europarlt, 2000: 41 – 45)

 

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