The former Yugoslavia is among the most popular destinations in Europe
of trafficked women from Ukraine and Russia. (Vladmir Isachenkov, "Soviet Womem
Slavery Flourishes," Associated Press, 6 November 1997)
Case
In 1996, in Serbia a Ukrainian woman, who tried to escape prostitution, was beheaded in
public. (Michael Specter, "Traffickers’ New Cargo: Naive Slavic Women," New
York Times, 11 January 1998)
Official Corruption and Collaboration
Serbian police were investigated for their involvement in an organized
prostitution ring with women from other East European countries. The NATO-led
Stabilization Force held an internal investigation in the alleged involvement of SFOR
peacekeepers in a child prostitution ring around Sarajevo. ("UN investigates
allegations against Bosnian police," Reuters, 1 July 1998)
Spanish
intelligence agents had discovered SFOR (NATO-led Stabilization Force) soldiers in Bosnia
ran a prostitution network involving children and had sold drugs to civilians, according
to articles published in May and June 1998, in the Spanish newspaper El Mundo. The
newspaper reported that girls between the ages of 12 and 14 had been forced into
prostitution in Sarajevo for the SFOR's Northern Brigade, which is under Italian command.
It quoted the intelligence report detailing how Bosnian children, drawn into prostitution
with threats and promises of money, were taken after dark to the brigade's headquarters
and forced to have sex with soldiers and non-commissioned officers.
NATO Secretary General Javier Solana stated that El Mundo
allegations were unfounded. In the course of the two-month investigation, about 90 people,
including SFOR unit commanders and troops, civilians and police authorities, were
interviewed. "The investigation concluded that the allegations made by the El
Mundo reporter were without merit and the investigation is closed," the SFOR
statement said. ("Bosnia probe dismisses peacekeeping sex charges," Reuters,
25 August 1998)
U.N. commission and human rights groups have found that ethnic Serb
paramilitary groups had systematically tolerated or encouraged the raping of Bosnian
Muslim women as part of the effort to drive Muslims from their homes and villages between
1991 and 1995. (Barbara Crossette, "An Old Scourge of War Becomes Its Latest
Crime", New York Times, 18 June 1998)