The world's most popular sporting event to be held in Brazil next year may be a magnet for sex tourists seeking underage prostitutes…
Brazil plays host to the World Cup
soccer tournament in June 2014, which will likely lead to an increase in demand
for sex workers. “We’ve seen more girls on the streets since the Confederations
Cup began [in June this year],” Costa says. “That’s only the Confederations
Cup, not the World Cup where this will increase hugely.” World Cup hosts often
see an influx of prostitutes hoping to cash in on fans from around the world.
Brazil is expecting some 600,000 foreigners for the soccer tournament,
according to authorities here. Thiago, the ex-pimp, says that 70-80% of the
clients at his Sao Paulo brothel were tourists.
The Brazilian government under President Dilma Rousseff has attempted to bring in some measures to both put an end to child prostitution and make life for older prostitutes safer. At major festivities such as Carnival in recent years, the government has distributed thousands of kits containing information on how to report child exploitation.
The Brazilian government under President Dilma Rousseff has attempted to bring in some measures to both put an end to child prostitution and make life for older prostitutes safer. At major festivities such as Carnival in recent years, the government has distributed thousands of kits containing information on how to report child exploitation.
However, the government’s more
recent “happy being a
prostitute” campaign, which aimed to persuade sex workers to use condoms, backfired
when launched in June. “We are fighting childhood prostitution and here comes a
campaign encouraging it,” said Federal deputy Liliam Sa at the time, according
to Reuters. One NGO is currently helping by offering English lessons to sex
workers but relatively little is being achieved to curb the industry in child
prostitution, despite former President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva making it one
of his campaign pledges a decade ago.
Amanda (a victim) looks forward both to her 14th birthday and life ahead. “I dream to have a husband and family. I’d like to be an engineer,” she says. But she keeps running back to her life on the streets. Says a disappointed Costa: “It is heartbreaking but it needs to be her choice to move on.”
Amanda (a victim) looks forward both to her 14th birthday and life ahead. “I dream to have a husband and family. I’d like to be an engineer,” she says. But she keeps running back to her life on the streets. Says a disappointed Costa: “It is heartbreaking but it needs to be her choice to move on.”
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