London Olympic mega-brothels a worry for UK

Church of England dioceses are to call for a government crackdown on human trafficking in the run-up to the London 2012 Olympics to prevent a repeat of the "mega brothels" set up in German cities for the 2006 World Cup.

Church members will discuss the matter at a General Synod next month following a motion set down by the dioceses of Newcastle and Winchester. "We do not want this same kind of thing for London 2012," said the Revd. Canon Michael Webb of Newcastle Diocese.

"Anything like slavery is wrong, but as Christians we are concerned that this is not how God treats people." The dioceses called for the government, police and officials to combat the "evil trade" of trafficking and forced prostitution through legislation and enforcement.

They pointed to the World Cup in Germany, where, they said, city officials adopted a "pragmatic" approach towards catering for the sexual desires of the estimated three million football fans who attended the tournament.

"Sex huts" or "sex garages" for prostitution were set up, filled with 40,000 extra prostitutes, while special licences were issued allowing prostitutes to offer sex on the street, they said in a background paper.
Up to 10,000 men and women, sometimes including children as young as 10, are traded in the UK each year, the dioceses added, with each girl worth up to 150,000 pounds a year to those who "own" her.

During the 2008 Euro football tournament in Switzerland, campaigners ran shocking images of human trafficking in between traditional adverts for beer, food and consumer goods to alert people of the harm and dangers involved.

"We are aware that the preparations for the London Olympics in 2012 could attract criminals who seek to profit from the fact that hospitality, catering and construction workers are required as well as the risk of an increase in prostitution, including those who have been trafficked," it said in a statement.

Posted for educational purposes