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World Cup Sex Rate Card
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ShareJune 14, 2006 9:52 AM
Business is booming at the Artemis in Berlin, one of a number of "mega brothels" cashing in on the influx of World Cup soccer fans to Germany, where prostitution has been legal since 2002.
For an entrance fee of about $90, visitors to Artemis, just down the street from the main World Cup stadium, can enjoy a gym, a pool and a champagne bar, along with big screen televisions so men can keep up with the matches.
Patrons pay by the half-hour for sex with the brothel's young women. A half-hour including intercourse costs patrons $75 while oral sex is an additional $20.
The German Women's Council estimates that over 40,000 foreign women have been brought into Germany as sex workers for this type of "mega brothel."
"The commercial sex industry there nets about $18 billion per year. That's slightly more than the profits of the country's largest department store chain," says Katherine Chon of the Polaris Project, a Washington D.C.-based human rights group.
The owners of Artemis and other "mega-brothels" say the women working for them were recruited legally and are registered with the government, as provided by German law.
But Chon and other human rights groups say that the German government is looking the other way at reports that thousands of foreign women brought into these mega brothels are actually victims of illegal sex trafficking. "Some of the state officials are involved in building some of the brothels because it's legalized and regulated." Chon says. "It's not in Germany's interest to bring the issue to light."
Germany says it takes the issue very seriously and claims it's increasing police activity to help separate and combat illegal sex trafficking with legalized sex during the World Cup. The government plan includes interrogating women and asking them if they are working voluntarily in sex businesses.
Chon and others criticize the technique as "a band-aid approach" that makes the government look good but does little to combat the problem. "It isn't effective because traffickers often threaten the women with abuse," says Chon. "So the workers give the answers they're told to give."
June 14, 2006 | Permalink | User Comments (44)
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If you want to risk catching something more power to you. You got to pay for it then you need to reevaluate your social life
Posted by: Mike | Jun 14, 2006 10:22:53 AM
Since Germany legalized prostitution, they should used German prostitute not women from other country. I wonder whats their
visa.
Posted by: Ben | Jun 14, 2006 10:27:41 AM
If the United States could ever get over its moral issues, and legalize marijuana AND prostitution, and TAX them...
Bye bye deficit.
Posted by: Cho | Jun 14, 2006 10:29:15 AM
Germany should be embarrass by the money they make through legal porn shops. I think they should have their daughters and granddaughters of what if, it were their own family members in those porn sex shops. I think the German Government families would think twice of legalizing sex in their own country.
Posted by: Leimomi | Jun 14, 2006 12:36:51 PM
Germany is full of hypocrites. They all pay their mandatory church tax, claim to be so holy, don't go to church, but legalize prostitution. Approx. 1/2 are Catholic and 1/2 Protestant. I've been there many times, and find their moral(what morals?) totally screwed up.
Posted by: jan | Jun 14, 2006 12:43:06 PM
Quoting Mike, "If you want to risk catching something more power to you..." The risk is minimized, as condom use is mandatory.
"[If] You got to pay for it then you need to reevaluate your social life." Help me understand how paying for sex obligates me to reevaluate my social life. That's a non sequitur.
Posted by: YGBSM | Jun 14, 2006 12:44:09 PM
Human trafficing is a world wide issue. If Germany is going to continue to allow legal prostitution, they are only helping to increase the problem, they are not helping in solving it! IT is Inhuman...
Posted by: Mindy | Jun 14, 2006 1:06:43 PM
Opposing regulated, legalized brothels doesn't prevent child sex abust, it creates it.
Posted by: Jack | Jun 14, 2006 1:31:29 PM
We are talking about the most sellable commodity on the planet. By what means does anyone propose to reduce demand?
Posted by: Joe Tate | Jun 14, 2006 1:45:55 PM
Wow....seems like illegal immigrants are affecting the Germans too. The prices are so cheap the local gals must be losing business. That means the locals go on the unemployment dole?? Sounds all too familiar!!
Posted by: jim | Jun 14, 2006 1:47:15 PM
Germany sounds great. I should go there to one of the brothels. I am tired of the U.S. trying to impose its values on other countries. The women choose to go into prostitution there. The right wing in the U.S. then lies and claims that women are forced into prostitution. Well, prove it right wingers. Prostitution is awesome and should be legal in the U.S. too, so we can get all the tax money off of it. Same with marijuana.
Posted by: John | Jun 14, 2006 2:39:45 PM
I think it is GREAT that they have legalized it there, I am a happy married man, but if I had the chance to go there, you better belive I am gonna play out my wildest dreams with some of their beautiful women, I don`t care if I have to pay $75.00 for it....!!..BRAVO..!!
Posted by: Kevin | Jun 14, 2006 2:52:58 PM
For all those who criticise German's system of legalized prostitution, I have a question -"What is the benefit of criminalising prostitution? Does it make it stop ?"
Far from being hypocritical, I find the German system honest and gives the prostitutes the best chance of protection, rather than criminalising them.
Posted by: Paul | Jun 14, 2006 3:11:05 PM
Prostitution is legal in a part of the U.S. - Las Vegas, Nevada. And how about the prostitution during the National Convention. I watched a story about it on TV.
Posted by: Pam | Jun 14, 2006 3:36:25 PM
What do you expect from a country that plunged the world into two world wars and is the beer capital of the world?
Germany has sunk deeper into moral depravity.
Posted by: Edward | Jun 14, 2006 3:43:55 PM
I just got back from Germany- wish I had gone to Berlin!
Posted by: Darren | Jun 14, 2006 4:06:01 PM
Wow....this world is a total mess! We need another Deluge to clean it all up.
Posted by: TI | Jun 14, 2006 4:09:13 PM
Their prostitution is regulated, there was nothing in the article indication child sexual abuse was happening, all the girls were LEGALLY recruited and registered with the government. That means they chose to do that work and profit off of it. Unlike most prostitution in the US pimp profit, tricks get aids and the girls are likely hijacked runnaways who need a fix and some eating money. Get real people, they are doing it right, it's safe, it's legal and it's regulated, that's something the moralistic majority in the US can't seem to get right.
Posted by: JD | Jun 14, 2006 4:13:57 PM
Prostitution has been around for over 2000 years! Go to Pompii and see what was going on in 79 AD!! It is legalized in many places around the world and should be legalized in the USA.
This is a moral issue and costs taxpayers plenty to investigate and prosecute and warehouse prostitutes and their clients. It is the world's oldest profession and will always be around. Just as someone mentioned- legalalizing marijuana- is inevitable...just based upon the cost to the criminal justice system. The revenues from any "vice taxes" could pay for more important things in our society; as opposed to placating religious zelots!
Posted by: Kj | Jun 14, 2006 4:34:26 PM
I have never paid for sex in my life - with the exception of my recent divorce, in which case I paid plenty.....
Posted by: Mark | Jun 14, 2006 4:43:45 PM
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