The World Cup has triggered fears that fans travelling to watch the games will also cause an ‘unprecedented demand’ for prostitutes and also trigger an increase in sex trafficking
The World Cup has sparked an “unprecedented demand” for prostitutes as horny fans look for sex during the tournament, a human rights expert has warned.
The venue hosting England’s upcoming match against Mexico is reportedly only two hours away from an area in Mexico which has been dubbed the “sex-trafficking capital of the world.” The proximity has sparked worries the tournament could lead to increased sexual exploitation of woman and young girls.
Tatiana Kotlyarenko, an international human rights expert, has said she fears criminal groups are running large sexual exploitation operations during the tournament on the US-Mexico border. Speaking to the Sun the human rights expert stated: “I have visited both the US–Mexico border and locations across the border in Mexico and what I witnessed was deeply disturbing.
“According to my observations, criminal groups control different areas and are heavily involved in sexual exploitation. Many venues that appear to operate as strip clubs function as brothels in practice, with commercial sexual services readily available for an additional fee.”
The expert warned similar strip clubs could be found in the United States in VIP rooms where additional sexual services are offered. Kotlyarenko told the Sun: “Events on the scale of the World Cup bring visitors from around the globe, many of whom stay for weeks.
“Criminal networks or individual traffickers seek to capitalise on these circumstances by organising the movement of women and minors between locations or bringing them to host cities to meet demand.”
“These large sporting events tend to attract significant numbers of men traveling in groups, creating conditions that can increase demand for commercial sexual exploitation.”
The number of sex trafficking cases have already spiked since the tournament kicked-off last month. Back on June 23 police arrested six people in connection to human trafficking, in an operation they dubbed Operation Red Card.
NBC reported Rhode Island Police targeted people suspected of engaging in commercial sex acts, child exploitation during the World Cup.
One of the suspects has been accused of sending an undercover police official explicit messages. The alleged messages read: “u definitely 15” and “U cab br ur sugar daddy”.
Another 50 people were arrested in Miami after being accused of responding to online ads promoting sex with children. Human rights experts Kotlyarenko stated these cases could only be the tip of the iceberg.
She stated: “Human trafficking associated with major sporting events is a significant concern, affecting not only international victims but also individuals trafficked within the United States, including children.
“Large sporting events often attract predominantly male crowds, with many attendees gathering to celebrate, socialise and consume alcohol.
“This environment can contribute to increased demand for commercial sexual exploitation and related forms of exploitation. As demand rises, advertising online and activity across the sex industry often expands as well, including strip clubs, prostitution, and human trafficking and other forms of sexual exploitation.”
The Mexico City stadium, the Estadio Azteca, is two hours from “the sex-trafficking capital of the world”, the town of Tenancingo. Kotlyarenko stated the scale of violence linked with sex trafficking can be difficult to fathom.
The human rights expert stated: “Some regions of Mexico have become notorious for sex trafficking activity,” she explained.
“During my visits, I encountered an atmosphere of fear, violence and lawlessness that was impossible to ignore. The abuse, exploitation, and degradation experienced by many women and girls appeared pervasive and highly visible.
“What struck me most was the apparent dehumanisation of victims. Many young girls and women seemed to be living in desperate circumstances, treated as commodities rather than as people.”
Kotlyarenko added that trafficked women are often viewed as disposable objects by their exploiters. Before the tournament started there were fears Tenancingo’s reputation as a sex-trafficking hotspot would lead it to be flooded by fans.
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