Poland - Facts on Trafficking and Prostitution

Factbook on Global Sexual Exploitation

Poland

Trafficking

At least 200 women, including girls under the age of 16, were trafficked by one Polish man to Germany and the Netherlands between 1993 and 1996. (Warsaw Voice, 1996). ("Trafficking of Women to the European Union: Characterisitics, Trends and Policy Issues," European Conference on Trafficking in Women, (June 1996), IOM, 7 May 1996)

Poland is a destination country for trafficking in Bulgarian women it is a transit country for women from Ukraine, Lithuania and Belarus. At least 3,500 Bulgarian prostituted women are in Poland and more than 1,000 from Ukraine and Belarus (source: Polish Deputy Interior Minister). In 1997, police registered 200 cases of attempted smuggling of women to Western brothels. (Piotr Bazylko, "Poland, Ukraine to fight sex slave industry," Reuters, 16 July 1998)

Policy and Law

In Poland, there are no specific laws governing the smuggling of aliens. (Tass, 1995, "Trafficking and Prostitution: The Growing Exploitation of Migrant Women from Central and Eastern Europe," IOM, May 1995)

The governments of Poland and Ukraine agreed on July 16, 1998, to cooperate in fighting prostitution and sex slave trafficking to the West. "The Mafia has got engaged in [the trafficking of women]. We must take preventive measures together," a Ukrainian Interior Ministry representative commented on the agreement. ("Poland, Ukraine to fight sex slave industry," Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty Newsline, Vol. 2, No. 136 Part II, 17 July 1998)

Prostitution

Case

A child prostitution ring, with a computer list of more than 1000 names, including 100 foreign clients, from Europe and Russia, was uncovered in Szczecin in November 1996. It may be the largest child sex crime in the country's history. (BBC, 8 November 1997)

Pornography

The Polish sex industry held its first legal trade fair in September 1998, attracting businessmen, pornographic film stars, and both male and female participants. Spectators at the Warsaw show will be treated to erotic dancing, mock sado-masochistic performances and naked beauty contests for both sexes. They can also browse around stalls offering sex aids, films and books. ("New law allows Polish porn festival," Reuters, 25 September 1998)

A pornography law prohibits the public display of material likely to offend but permits in private everything but erotica involving children, animals and violence in Poland. The law has been in force since 1 September 1998. Publishers have had to remove nudity from the covers of magazines sold in kiosks and wrap non-transparent foil around books that might be sold openly in other European countries. ("New law allows Polish porn festival," Reuters, 25 September 1998)

Between 300,000 to 400,000 hard-core porn magazines are sold a month in Poland, a country of 39 million people. ("New law allows Polish porn festival," Reuters, 25 September 1998)

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Donna M. Hughes, Laura Joy Sporcic, Nadine Z. Mendelsohn and Vanessa Chirgwin