Police
in Czech Republic Cooperate
with NGOs in Fighting Pimping
29/Nov/00
PRAGUE
Police from
the anti-organised crime department (UPOZ) are cooperating with many
non-governmental organisations in fighting against pimping and organised
trade in women, Police Presidium spokeswoman Ivana Zelenakova told CTZK
today.
These
organisations can help both the victims of crimes in difficult
situations and the police in their preventative measures, Zelenakova
said. "This is a very successful cooperation," she said. The
police, for instance, have established an intensive communication with
the La Strada organisation and the International Organisation for
Migration, Zelenakova said.
Girls who
are forced into prostitution often find themselves without any money,
documents or housing when their pimps are arrested. "Police
themselves are not capable of providing any financial help to a
temporary accommodation to these girls," Zelenakova said.
The UPOZ
certainly has information on how girls are lured abroad and pass it on
to the non-governmental organisations, she said, adding that in their
preventative measures police also use the help of the International
Organisation for Migration which, among other things, warns girls
against travelling abroad having been promised employment.
Ten persons
suspected of procuring were detained by police on Saturday night in a
large raid on seven erotic clubs in the districts of Philyrimov, south
Bohemia, Havlickuv Brod, east Bohemia, Benesov, central Bohemia and
Jihlava, south Moravia, in which 35 prostitutes were detained. They are
mainly foreigners without documents and police are investigating whether
they have been forced into prostitution.
Another
three members of an international gang, which deals with the
"import" of girls from Ukraine, Moldova and Slovakia, were
detained by the police in a raid in an erotic club in Hora svateho
Sebestiana, north Bohemia, on Tuesday.
(c) 2000
CTK (Ceska Tiskova Kancelar). All rights reserved.
CTK
BUSINESS NEWS 29/11/2000