The number of active prostitutes, 26000 in Belgium today, keeps growing. Estimates indicate that 80 percent of them are exploited, according to the spokesperson of the human trafficking unit of the Belgian federal police. The prostitution is mostly concentrated in Brussels followed by Antwerp, Liege and Mons, but starts to be more and more present outside the major cities.
Several prostitution and trafficking rings operate in Belgium, notably from Bulgaria, Romania, Spain, Portugal, Hungary and Nigeria, explains the head of the police trafficking unit, Wim Bontinck. He believes that the rise is linked with the ease of travelling between the countries and continents.
Prostitution is not punishable by law, unless a person is exploited by a third party, which is usually the case. Eight out of ten or about 21000 women, are in effect implicated in this situation. The fight against the pimps is difficult but on the right direction, highlights Wim Bontinck.
(Source: Belga)
