Italy

More than 8,000 Albanian girls are prostituted in Italy, and more than 30% of them are under 18 years, stressed participants of a seminar in Tirana, Albania on the international traffic of women and children. The main reason for this trafficking is the economic inequality between richer countries and the poverty in Albania. The speakers asked governments and politicians to take measures to ensure that human rights are respected. (G.J. Koja, "8000 Albanian Girls Work as Prostitutes in Italy," HURINet – The Human Rights Information Network, 25 July 1998)

In Milan, Italy, 80% of street prostitutes are foreigners (Brussa, 1995, p.49) ("Trafficking of Women to the European Union: Characteristic, Trends and Policy Issues," European Conference on Trafficking in Women, June 1996, IOM, 7 May 1996)

There are 19,000-25,000 foreign prostitutes in Italy. Approximately 2,000 have been trafficked. (Migrant Information Programme, "Trafficking in Women for Sexual Exploitation to Italy," IOM, June 1996)

The victims of trafficking are between age 17-20, with some as young as 14. (Migrant Information Programme, "Trafficking in Women for Sexual Exploitation to Italy," IOM, June 1996)

Education levels of women trafficked into Italy vary. Some, particularly from Nigeria, have never attended schools; others, especially the older women, have university degrees. (Migrant Information Programme, "Trafficking in Women for Sexual Exploitation to Italy," IOM, June 1996)

The majority of the women and girls trafficked into Italy reported that they had not engaged in prostitution in their home country. Entry into Italy was usually legal on a tourist or entertainment visa. (Migrant Information Programme, "Trafficking in Women for Sexual Exploitation to Italy," IOM, June 1996)

In 1994 three legal complaints of forcing someone into slavery were filed. (Migrant Information Programme, "Trafficking in Women for Sexual Exploitation to Italy," IOM, June 1996)

In Milan, women abducted from the countries of the former Soviet Union were auctioned on blocks, and sold at an average price of just under US$1,000. (Michael Specter, "Traffickers’ New Cargo: Naive Slavic Women," New York Times, 11 January 1998)

Foreign women in "call girl" prostitution in Italy are from Poland, Russia, Colombia and Argentina and to a lesser extent from Brazil, Hungary, Romania and the Philippines. Frequently they have been in prostitution in their home country. (Migrant Information Programme, "Trafficking in Women for Sexual Exploitation to Italy," IOM, June 1996)

75-80% of the women trafficked for prostitution in Italy are in street prostitution. Those to whom they are indentured often use violence against women. (Migrant Information Programme, "Trafficking in Women for Sexual Exploitation to Italy," IOM, June 1996)

In Italy, trafficked and/or prostituted Polish women arrived around 1989, followed, in 1992, by Nigerians and some Peruvians and Colombians. Between 1993 and 1994 Albanians came and, by 1995, it was Albanians and Nigerians. (European Race Audit Bulletin No. 25, The Institute of Race Relations, London UK, 25 November 1997)

Rome is the concentrated region of trafficked Albanian and Nigerian women brought for the purpose of prostitution. (European Race Audit Bulletin No. 25, The Institute of Race Relations, London UK, 25 November 1997)

Girls and women trafficked to Italy are typically single, aged 14-18, and less frequently aged 19-24 (Caritas, European Race Audit Bulletin No. 25, The Institute of Race Relations, London UK, 25 November 1997)

Italy was a holding area for Asian children being trafficked by Chinese and Japanese criminal gangs ("Pedophilia ring uncovered in Italy," USA Today, Nov. 1997)

Methods and Techniques of Traffickers

Albanian women and girls trafficked into Italy were usually recruited informally by friends or relatives. There is usually a relationship between the trafficked woman and her traffickers. Traffickers are often young criminals, attracted by the possibility of earning easy money. This traffic in Albanian women tends to be organized by independent groups operating on a small scale. (Migrant Information Programme, "Trafficking in Women for Sexual Exploitation to Italy," IOM, June 1996)

Trafficking from Nigeria is especially well organized, and centers around a female figure called "Mama" who plays a key role in persuading young women to leave their homes for Italy. Women are recruited by means of deception, physical threats or payments made to the women’s families. The women are particularly easily controlled because they and their families are forced to pay back huge debts to the trafficking organization for the cost of their trip and related expenses. It can take several years to pay off these debts. (Migrant Information Programme, "Trafficking in Women for Sexual Exploitation to Italy," IOM, June 1996)

Prostitution is hidden by women claiming they are in socially accepted jobs, such as hostesses and dancers, beauticians, masseuses, strippers, pornographic video actresses, entertainers. Women in these positions are frequently trafficked. Many women were in similar circumstances in their home country and got work permits in Italy as "artists." Some women are aware of what they are going to do in Italy; some are intentionally deceived with prospects of an artistic career as dancers or actresses. This type of prostitution generally involves women from Central and Eastern Europe, Brazil, Colombia and, less frequently, the Philippines. (Migrant Information Programme, "Trafficking in Women for Sexual Exploitation to Italy," IOM, June 1996)

Traffickers use the same migration routes and methods that are generally used for illegal migration from Albania. They use fishing boats to the limit of territorial waters and small boats to the Italian coast (especially on the Otranto Channel, between Pulgia’s southern coast and Albania, or along the Calabrian coast southwards, or the coast of Abruzzo northwards), or the coast route along the eastern Adriatic coast northwards. The total cost of the journey is around US$ 2,800 to 5,000 depending on the route and the expected difficulties. (Migrant Information Programme, "Trafficking in Women for Sexual Exploitation to Italy," IOM, June 1996)

Nigerian girls are contracted in the suburbs of cities, such as Lagos or Benin City, and in the countryside in the south and east. Madams act as "go-betweens" for girls and women and the traffickers. Money is sent to the madam to pay the debt to the traffickers and to the girls’ families. (Migrant Information Programme, "Trafficking in Women for Sexual Exploitation to Italy," IOM, June 1996)

There are three levels of organization in the trafficking of Nigerian women and girls: the first centers around the "Mama" living in the country of origin; the second centers around the Nigerian "Mama" in Italy; and the third, the "messengers," the persons transferring the money from Italy to Nigeria. (Migrant Information Programme, "Trafficking in Women for Sexual Exploitation to Italy," IOM, June 1996)

Debts for travel are supposed to be paid off in 6 months, but in the majority of the cases after three or four years, the girls are still in prostitution to pay back the debt they owe. (Migrant Information Programme, "Trafficking in Women for Sexual Exploitation to Italy," IOM, June 1996)

A Nigerian madam, or "Mama," supervises and controls the women and girls. She organizes their activities and collects their profits in Italy. The women physically and psychologically fear the "Mama." (Migrant Information Programme, "Trafficking in Women for Sexual Exploitation to Italy," IOM, June 1996)

Very few of the women trafficked to Italy wish to return to their country of origin. Some say there are no opportunities there. Some fear reprisals from the traffickers, and others are ashamed to return without being able to show that they have been successful abroad. (Migrant Information Programme, "Trafficking in Women for Sexual Exploitation to Italy," IOM, June 1996)

Case

A trafficking ring operating in Italy headed by Chinese and Japanese criminals sold at least 15 children into prostitution in the United States in one month. A Cambodian man, traveling under false documents with four children, was arrested in Rome in November 1996. He was convicted of illegal immigration and receiving stolen goods, and is still under investigation on suspicion of involvement in an international sex ring. (Pitero Forno, Prosecutor, "Pedophilia ring uncovered in Italy," USA Today, Nov. 1997) [catw log9711b] & (ANSA, "Pedophilia ring uncovered in Italy," USA Today, Nov. 1997)

Policy and Law

There is no specific legislation in Italy that defines the crime of trafficking in women. (Migrant Information Programme, "Trafficking in Women for Sexual Exploitation to Italy," IOM, June 1996)

The Merlin Law of 1958 decriminalized prostitution if it is practiced privately, forbids prostitution in brothels, and criminalizes those who exploit prostitutes or lead women into prostitution, including foreign women. Such crimes are punishable even if committed in a foreign country. (Migrant Information Programme, "Trafficking in Women for Sexual Exploitation to Italy," IOM, June 1996)

A foreigner who brings a migrant woman into Italy for the purpose of prostitution can, by law, be jailed for up to 7 years. (Migrant Information Programme, "Trafficking in Women for Sexual Exploitation to Italy," IOM, June 1996)

Official Response and Action

Right-wing parties have called upon the authorities to stop prostitution networks that are run by Albanians. 2/3 of the 15,329 Albanian women in Italy holding work permits are in prostitution. Despite this, in the drive to combat illegal immigration, Italian authorities have not yet targeted the sex industry as a focus for action. (Lara Santoro, "For Italy’s Flood of Immigrants Being on the Lam Beats Poverty: Albanians by the Boatload," Christian Science Monitor, 7 January 1997)

United States President Bill Clinton and Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi together have officially recognized and addressed trafficking in women and children for the purpose of forced prostitution. They have established a working group in order to deal with the problem. ("Clinton, Prodi discuss slave trade," United Press International, 6 May 1998)

The number of persons charged with encouraging, exploiting and aiding and abetting prostitution in Italy has increased from 285 in 1990 to 737 in 1994. In 1994, 35% (258) were foreigners. The number of persons charged seems to be higher in regions of Italy where there are large numbers of foreign immigrants such as Lombardy and Lazio. (Migrant Information Programme, "Trafficking in Women for Sexual Exploitation to Italy," IOM, June 1996)

Women in the Italian sex industry come from several world regions, including Latin America, Southeast Asia, and Eastern Europe. Communication among prostitutes of different nationalities does not occur. (Licia Brussa, "Transnational AIDS/STD Prevention Among Migrant Prostitutes in Europe," TAMPEP, 1996)

80 percent of the street prostitutes in Milan are foreigners (Tampep, 1995, Migrant Information Programme, "Trafficking in Women for Sexual Exploitation to Italy," IOM, June 1996)

In street prostitution the largest group of migrant women is Nigerians, followed by Albanians, Russian and Ukrainian women, the rest are Latin Americans and transsexuals. Two types of pimps control street prostitution: The first are the same nationality as the women and exploit the women; the other is mafia organizations. Madams, who are former prostitutes, are common among the Nigerian women. (Licia Brussa, "Transnational AIDS/STD Prevention Among Migrant Prostitutes in Europe," TAMPEP, 1996)

One prostituted woman per month is killed in Italy. (Police, Michael Specter, "Traffickers’ New Cargo: Naive Slavic Women," New York Times, 11 January 1998) Italian prostitutes, with the exception of those who are also drug addicts, have retreated to apartments and massage or sun-tanning parlours, while foreign prostitutes charge lower prices and are on the streets. (European Race Audit Bulletin No 25, Institute of Race Relations, London UK, 25 November 1997)

One third of those charged for prostitution-related offenses in 1994 were of foreigners, mostly from Eastern Europe. 20% of Albanians imprisoned in Italian jails are held for prostitution-related offenses. (International Herald Tribune, 10.7.97, La Republicca 26.8.97).

Health and Well-being

Women’s physical and mental well being are harmed by the isolation and marginalization they suffer by being confined in closed apartments and their movements restricted. (Licia Brussa, "Transnational AIDS/STD Prevention Among Migrant Prostitutes in Europe," TAMPEP, 1996)

Policy and Law

Prostitution is legal in Italy (Merlin Law of 1958) so it is technically illegal for the police to deport foreign prostituted women. Women who seek assistance from police are deported because they do not have a valid resident's permit. (European Race Audit Bulletin No. 25, The Institute of Race Relations, London UK, 25 November 1997)

Case

Donato Bilancia of Italy was arrested for the murder of a prostituted Nigerian woman and in connection with the murders of five other prostituted women occurring along the Italian Riviera in the past year. (Melanie Goodfellow, "Suspect held in Italian prostitute slayings," Reuters, 7 May 1998)

An HIV-positive prostituted woman in Ravenna, northeast Italy had her photograph shown in the media after it was discovered that she was bought by as many as 5,000 men, some were from as far away as Rome. Men favored her because she didn’t insist on a condom being used. The prosecutors office set up two hotlines for men to call for information. Franco Grillini, the head of Arcigay, an Italian gay rights group, said men who demand sex without a condom should be censured also ("Italy HIV Prostitute Photo Shown," Associated Press, 15 February 1998)

17 people were arrested in June 1997 for producing pornographic films of children at an elementary school in Naples. (BBC, 8 Nov 1997)