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Undine de Revière: One of the two most commonly cited studies is based on a number of governmental reports that vary significantly in quality. I have witnessed some human-trafficking processes in court for research purposes, and it’s very complex. Most trafficking cases are a mix of voluntary sex work and a third party trying to influence the number of clients, sex acts, or the general workflow.How do you make sure sex work is safe and not tainted by these third parties?
Security isn’t an issue that’s limited to sex work—basically every job that confronts you with drunken partiers can be dangerous. Generally, I’m very pro empowerment and education, like peer-to-peer projects that teach sex workers about their rights and responsibilities, or classes in self-defense or German. I think the root of the biggest problems is poverty. Police raids are not an answer.Aren’t the police supposed to protect sex workers who aren’t doing anything illegal?
I know a couple of women who were traumatized by the cops. The raids [on brothels] tend to be quite violent; they wear bulletproof vests, have dogs and guns, and they’re usually not very polite toward the women. I think the police should be more approachable so they can actually solve crimes instead of scaring the women and creating a general sense of distrust. Instead of victimizing us and then trying to engage forced salvation through legislation, I think we would all be better off if there were campaigns to encourage respectful treatment of sex workers.