Kampagne Stoppt Zwangsprostitution!

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Women’s Stories

Natascha, Marina, Irina, Ilona, Frieda, Oxana, Ronja, Anita, Elena and Amalia respond to our questions:

How did you experience forced prostitution?

Natascha, 18, from Belarus:
“I just closed my eyes. I had to do everything that the men wanted me to do. My lower abdomen burnt, it almost made me vomit when I had to kiss a stranger or perform oral sex. I stopped living, and only existed.”

Amalia, 22, from Bulgaria:
“The men wanted oral and anal sex, or wanted to tie us up. It was especially revolting when I had to perform oral sex without a condom.”

Olga, 20, from Russia:
“I lay there like a plank. When an old stinking man came it was unbearable for me.”

Anita, 33, from Russia:
“During seven months I worked there everyday. I’d rather work seven months as construction worker than having to do that.”

Irina, 21, from Ukraine:
“I always cried inside and felt constantly ill. Even today I have troubles sleeping and carry awful memories with me.”

Ronja, 19, from Romania:
“The majority of women in the brothel drank alcohol to be able to work or to bear it. They got confused and couldn’t care less about what they had to do. They pretended that they enjoyed it and got extra money for special services.”

Why didn’t you leave?

Elena, 25, from Russia:
“What can you do - the muscleman stands in front of you, you are forced to work and you cry inside.”

Ilona, 23, from Russia:
“There was no open threat but I had the feeling that something would happen if I disobeyed. It was a subliminal threat. I was afraid.”

Frieda, 18, from Moldavia:
“When you caused big problems then you got beaten.”

Oxana, 22, from Ukraine:
“I was afraid to reject a john I didn’t want. If I would have done that I think it would have surely caused problems. It would have meant that the pimp loses money.”

Irina, 21, from Ukraine:
“The pimps told me that I had to work for them, you have to stay here. If I wanted to leave, they would find me.”

How did the men who came to you behave?

Anita, 33, from Russia:
“The men are all the same - they pay money for sex and want service from us. They don‘t care about us women.”

Ilona, 23, from Russia:
“The men come to us, catch diseases and then they pass them on to other women.”

Ronja, 19, from Romania:
“The men showed more respect when I appeared more willingly. But when I didn’t oblige voluntarily the respect was gone. They put me under pressure, became angry and made demands in a nasty way. I felt like a wimp in such situations. The men need to know that we are in a very difficult situation. I think they would deal with us more fairly and with more respect if they knew that.”

Could customers have helped you?

Ilona, 23, from Russia:
“Of course, when a man is really interested in a woman he can help her. But most of the men don’t give a damn about us.”

Ronja, 19, from Romania:
“The men should take a good look at the situation the women are in. When they have a possibility they should help us to get out of this situation. Most men, though, don’t want to help. They just want their satisfaction. The men won’t even go to the police. They’re scared that their wives will find out.”

Marina, 20, from Russia:
“I told many men that I was not here voluntarily, that I was being forced to work here. They didn’t believe me and asked me, “What are you doing here, then?” The language was a big problem, I could speak only very little German. I told many men that I wanted to get out of here. They got scared and left. One man offered to marry me but I understood too little. They don’t understand the language, I cried easily and they simply walked away.”

Irina, 21, from Ukraine:
“I was often sad but the men never understood why. Men should not go there just to get sex for money. They should pay more attention when a woman is sad and cries because she doesn’t want to work but is forced to.”

Ronja, 19, from Romania:
“The men could have noticed something but they didn’t want to see. And I didn’t show anything because I was scared. The men would have asked for another woman, and the pimps would have found out. I was scared of that, and what the pimps would have done to me then.”