	The Factbook on Global Sexual Exploitation

	About the Factbook
	Contents
	Asia Europe Oceania Africa Middle East Central America & the Caribbean South America North America

	About the Factbook

	The Factbook on Global Sexual Exploitation was compiled from media, non-governmental organization and government reports. It is an initial effort to collect facts, statistics and known cases on global sexual exploitation. Information is organized into four categories: - Trafficking, - Prostitution, - Pornography, and - Organized and Institutionalized Sexual Exploitation and Violence. Sources were not contacted to verify information. Close examination will reveal that there are contradictions in information depending on the sources of information (ex: how many women are in prostitution in Thailand). All statistics are reported with no attempt to evaluate which numbers are more likely to be accurate. In fact, the exact numbers in many cases are not known and estimates come from different sources which use different methods to determine what they report. We hope these facts will assist people to recognize the harm caused throughout the world by sexual violence and exploitation and catalyze action against this violence agianst women. This project was made possible with the support of the College of Arts and Sciences, University of Rhode Island and the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD), Norway. If you use this information in your work, please reference this factbook-- The Factbook on Global Sexual Exploitation, Donna M. Hughes, Laura Joy Sporcic, Nadine Z. Mendelsohn, Vanessa Chirgwin, Coalition Against Trafficking in Women, 1999.

Romania

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," 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)

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," Reuters, 7 August 1997)

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)

Human Trafficking Child Trafficking Other Resources