00:05 Speaker (38 seconds)
Athens – for the Olympic Games the city is showing itself from its best and polished side. But little does the visitor or athlete know about the dark abysses hidden behind the perfect façade.
In the country which prides itself to be the cradle of our western culture, prostitution is a sensitive topic. There are close to 50.000 illegal prostitutes in Greece which are not so much the problem.
Greece is notorious for being a main distribution point for a world wide active human trafficking mafia. The convenient geographical position of this Schengen country is abused to sell up to 70,000 women per year throughout Europe.
_________________________________________________________________
00:45 Speaker (22 seconds)
We meet an insider who has been working in the Athens red light-districts for over 20 years. He knows the scene and he knows the human trafficking mafia. Years ago he changed sides. Today he cooperates with renowned organisations to help women who were forced into prostitution.
_________________________________________________________________
01:09 Greek Mafia-Insider
(Spoken in English)
_________________________________________________________________
02:15 Speaker (17 seconds)
Often a seemingly harmless job offer is the bait for these young girls. However latest upon their arrival in Greece their dreams of the golden west are shattered turn into a nightmare.
_________________________________________________________________
02:34 Speaker (17 seconds)
Being a pole dancer is a privilege for only a few.
_________________________________________________________________
02:39 Speaker (15 seconds)
Soon after their arrival they are forced into prostitution. The brutality of their pimps seems to be boundless.
_________________________________________________________________
03:01 Speaker (13 seconds)
22 year-old Marina from Moldova is one of many girls who got lured to Greece through a dubious job offer and got forced into prostitution.
_________________________________________________________________
03:15 (Translation) “Marina”
Moldovan Victim
A woman from Moldova sold me and two other women to a man from Turkey. This man then brought us to the Turkish-Greek border where we had to spend three nights in a forest. He threatened us with a gun in case we wanted to run away.
In the forest there was no possibility for us to wash nor did we get anything to eat. After three nights men came to bring us across the border by foot. We continued walking through the woods and even had to cross rivers until we finally arrived in Greece.
Here it soon came to a hand-over. The Turkish men brought us to a car with Greeks who brought us to their establishment.
_________________________________________________________________
04:16 Speaker (16 seconds)
Only docile women are valuable capital for the traffickers.
Our insider not only knows the transport routes but also the fees that are being paid for these women by brothel-owners on the international market.
_________________________________________________________________
04:32 Greek Mafia-Insider
(Spoken in English)
_________________________________________________________________
05:26 Speaker (5 seconds)
The mafia earns billions of Euros through human trafficking.
_________________________________________________________________
05:39 Greek Mafia-Insider
(Spoken in English)
_________________________________________________________________
07:19 Speaker (8 seconds)
Marina like so many others was beaten and raped by her tantaliser.
_________________________________________________________________
07:29 (Translation) “Marina”
Moldovan Victim
In the club we were received by men who immediately threatened us. They told us: “If you don’t do what we tell you to do we will kill you.” There were two young women who had already been at the club before our arrival and they confirmed that they believe that these men are truly capable of killing someone.
The two girls also told us that the men beat them if they don’t do what the men expect of them. The three of us who had arrived together were sold to another club within a few days.
There were already seven girls in club in Thessalonica when we arrived. The men sent us to work separately and did not let us go outside. Sometimes when the men were drunk they took their machineguns and shot into the air in order to scare us.
Other young women have told me that the situation in Albania is especially brutal. The women there are constantly beaten and have to sleep in stables in the villages.
_________________________________________________________________
09:02 Speaker (28 seconds)
The psychologist Irina Gionis works with human trafficking victims. Many of the young girls underwent a living hell. It is close to impossible for them to forget the countless rapes, the cruel abuse and the severe psychological and physical injuries caused by their pimps and customers. Besides all of this many are haunted by the fear of revenge against their families back home. For murder does not strike the conscience of a mafia pimp.
_________________________________________________________________
09:33 (Translation) Irina Gionis
Psychologist
How I feel as a woman doing this job? Hmm… I try to understand in what sort of a situation these women are in. But, of course it is very difficult. These women got kidnapped, have no rights and are the property of someone else. We take them in our shelter and help them gain back their strength. But it isn’t easy.
Every woman is different and yet they all have many things in common. Especially the violence both psychologically and physically is something they all share. Wounds like theirs need a long time to heal. The first thing every Human-Trafficker does, almost as if it were the law, is that he rapes his victim und utilises floggings and beatings. After the principal initiation all the women’s stories develop individually.
_________________________________________________________________
10:50 Speaker (10 seconds)
We want to know exactly how easy it is to get women in Greece for brutal sex games. Our insider arranges a meeting with a mafia-pimp.
_________________________________________________________________
11:01 Greek Mafia-Insider
(Spoken in English)
_________________________________________________________________
13:08 Speaker (6 seconds)
On request the man we are meeting would even sell us a woman.
_________________________________________________________________
13:14 Greek Mafia-Insider
(Spoken in English)
_________________________________________________________________
13:58 Speaker (21 seconds)
A little later, the pimp gets into our car. Since he knows our insider very well he doesn’t waste any time and offers us 15 young girls for atrocious sex games. For a few extra Euros the price even includes severe injuries on his merchandise.
_________________________________________________________________
14:20 Greek Mafia-Insider
(Spoken in English)
_________________________________________________________________
14:38 Speaker (12 seconds)
In the strictly guarded shelter the victims feel safe. Marina tries to overcome her pain and the psychological indignity she had to experience.
_________________________________________________________________
14:53 (Translation) “Marina”
Moldovan Victim
I don’t know how to describe the men’s behaviour towards us. Their behaviour was atrocious. They treated us like whores, like animals, I don’t know what to say, like animals, as if we were scum.
I was lucky, I had the chance to escape. I made a report by the police and with the information I was able to give the bosses of the first and second bar got arrested.
_________________________________________________________________
15:26 Speaker (31 seconds)
In Greece victims of human trafficking find very little help. Frequently people don’t believe their stories or they are treated as criminals and are swiftly deported. Dr. Nikitas Kanakis the head of the Athens main office of Medecins du Monde is dedicated to his work both on a social and political level. He manages the only shelter for trafficking-victims in Athens and is appalled by the situation in his homeland.
_________________________________________________________________
15:55 (Translation) Nikitas Kanakis
Medecins du Monde
When I talk about slave trade then I seriously mean is slave trade like back in the 18th, 19th century. Where humans who are sold once, twice, three sometimes even 10 times like commercial commodities. Of course the things have been modernised so to say, but broken down to the bare facts it is trade as with any commodity.
Via Italy the women are brought to countries like Germany or Austria however no country can be excluded. Sarcastically one could say that the various mafias from the different countries cooperate to such perfection that our politicians could use it as an example as how to improve the cooperation within the European Union
_________________________________________________________________
16:50 Speaker (25 seconds)
In the Greek Ministry of Public Order one tries to limit the damage. For years the government ignored the problem but with the Olympic Games they are now trying to take action against the mafia with harsh police operations. Regina Desfiniotou, member of the “Unit Against Human Trafficking” admits that the problem can only be solved through international cooperation.
_________________________________________________________________
17:16 (Translation) Regina Desfiniotou
Ministry of Public Order – Greece
We are not at all satisfied, in the sense that we could say that we have solved the problem. Quite on the contrary, however we are trying our best. At the moment it is a huge problem and is categorised as the third top crime. It is a very widespread and involves large sums of money. One has to say that the problem of illegal Human Trafficking is a phenomenon which is constantly evolving and changing. In other words at the moment prostitution and forced prostitution are the main results of this phenomenon but in future this could also change. And we are trying to do our best.
_________________________________________________________________
17:54 Speaker (13 seconds)
The current international efforts seem to be like the famous drop in the bucket.
Even if the sudden interest in combating human trafficking in Greece should dislodge the mafia the question that remains is where will we find her next.
Athens – for the Olympic Games the city is showing itself from its best and polished side. But little does the visitor or athlete know about the dark abysses hidden behind the perfect façade.
In the country which prides itself to be the cradle of our western culture, prostitution is a sensitive topic. There are close to 50.000 illegal prostitutes in Greece which are not so much the problem.
Greece is notorious for being a main distribution point for a world wide active human trafficking mafia. The convenient geographical position of this Schengen country is abused to sell up to 70,000 women per year throughout Europe.
_________________________________________________________________
00:45 Speaker (22 seconds)
We meet an insider who has been working in the Athens red light-districts for over 20 years. He knows the scene and he knows the human trafficking mafia. Years ago he changed sides. Today he cooperates with renowned organisations to help women who were forced into prostitution.
_________________________________________________________________
01:09 Greek Mafia-Insider
(Spoken in English)
_________________________________________________________________
02:15 Speaker (17 seconds)
Often a seemingly harmless job offer is the bait for these young girls. However latest upon their arrival in Greece their dreams of the golden west are shattered turn into a nightmare.
_________________________________________________________________
02:34 Speaker (17 seconds)
Being a pole dancer is a privilege for only a few.
_________________________________________________________________
02:39 Speaker (15 seconds)
Soon after their arrival they are forced into prostitution. The brutality of their pimps seems to be boundless.
_________________________________________________________________
03:01 Speaker (13 seconds)
22 year-old Marina from Moldova is one of many girls who got lured to Greece through a dubious job offer and got forced into prostitution.
_________________________________________________________________
03:15 (Translation) “Marina”
Moldovan Victim
A woman from Moldova sold me and two other women to a man from Turkey. This man then brought us to the Turkish-Greek border where we had to spend three nights in a forest. He threatened us with a gun in case we wanted to run away.
In the forest there was no possibility for us to wash nor did we get anything to eat. After three nights men came to bring us across the border by foot. We continued walking through the woods and even had to cross rivers until we finally arrived in Greece.
Here it soon came to a hand-over. The Turkish men brought us to a car with Greeks who brought us to their establishment.
_________________________________________________________________
04:16 Speaker (16 seconds)
Only docile women are valuable capital for the traffickers.
Our insider not only knows the transport routes but also the fees that are being paid for these women by brothel-owners on the international market.
_________________________________________________________________
04:32 Greek Mafia-Insider
(Spoken in English)
_________________________________________________________________
05:26 Speaker (5 seconds)
The mafia earns billions of Euros through human trafficking.
_________________________________________________________________
05:39 Greek Mafia-Insider
(Spoken in English)
_________________________________________________________________
07:19 Speaker (8 seconds)
Marina like so many others was beaten and raped by her tantaliser.
_________________________________________________________________
07:29 (Translation) “Marina”
Moldovan Victim
In the club we were received by men who immediately threatened us. They told us: “If you don’t do what we tell you to do we will kill you.” There were two young women who had already been at the club before our arrival and they confirmed that they believe that these men are truly capable of killing someone.
The two girls also told us that the men beat them if they don’t do what the men expect of them. The three of us who had arrived together were sold to another club within a few days.
There were already seven girls in club in Thessalonica when we arrived. The men sent us to work separately and did not let us go outside. Sometimes when the men were drunk they took their machineguns and shot into the air in order to scare us.
Other young women have told me that the situation in Albania is especially brutal. The women there are constantly beaten and have to sleep in stables in the villages.
_________________________________________________________________
09:02 Speaker (28 seconds)
The psychologist Irina Gionis works with human trafficking victims. Many of the young girls underwent a living hell. It is close to impossible for them to forget the countless rapes, the cruel abuse and the severe psychological and physical injuries caused by their pimps and customers. Besides all of this many are haunted by the fear of revenge against their families back home. For murder does not strike the conscience of a mafia pimp.
_________________________________________________________________
09:33 (Translation) Irina Gionis
Psychologist
How I feel as a woman doing this job? Hmm… I try to understand in what sort of a situation these women are in. But, of course it is very difficult. These women got kidnapped, have no rights and are the property of someone else. We take them in our shelter and help them gain back their strength. But it isn’t easy.
Every woman is different and yet they all have many things in common. Especially the violence both psychologically and physically is something they all share. Wounds like theirs need a long time to heal. The first thing every Human-Trafficker does, almost as if it were the law, is that he rapes his victim und utilises floggings and beatings. After the principal initiation all the women’s stories develop individually.
_________________________________________________________________
10:50 Speaker (10 seconds)
We want to know exactly how easy it is to get women in Greece for brutal sex games. Our insider arranges a meeting with a mafia-pimp.
_________________________________________________________________
11:01 Greek Mafia-Insider
(Spoken in English)
_________________________________________________________________
13:08 Speaker (6 seconds)
On request the man we are meeting would even sell us a woman.
_________________________________________________________________
13:14 Greek Mafia-Insider
(Spoken in English)
_________________________________________________________________
13:58 Speaker (21 seconds)
A little later, the pimp gets into our car. Since he knows our insider very well he doesn’t waste any time and offers us 15 young girls for atrocious sex games. For a few extra Euros the price even includes severe injuries on his merchandise.
_________________________________________________________________
14:20 Greek Mafia-Insider
(Spoken in English)
_________________________________________________________________
14:38 Speaker (12 seconds)
In the strictly guarded shelter the victims feel safe. Marina tries to overcome her pain and the psychological indignity she had to experience.
_________________________________________________________________
14:53 (Translation) “Marina”
Moldovan Victim
I don’t know how to describe the men’s behaviour towards us. Their behaviour was atrocious. They treated us like whores, like animals, I don’t know what to say, like animals, as if we were scum.
I was lucky, I had the chance to escape. I made a report by the police and with the information I was able to give the bosses of the first and second bar got arrested.
_________________________________________________________________
15:26 Speaker (31 seconds)
In Greece victims of human trafficking find very little help. Frequently people don’t believe their stories or they are treated as criminals and are swiftly deported. Dr. Nikitas Kanakis the head of the Athens main office of Medecins du Monde is dedicated to his work both on a social and political level. He manages the only shelter for trafficking-victims in Athens and is appalled by the situation in his homeland.
_________________________________________________________________
15:55 (Translation) Nikitas Kanakis
Medecins du Monde
When I talk about slave trade then I seriously mean is slave trade like back in the 18th, 19th century. Where humans who are sold once, twice, three sometimes even 10 times like commercial commodities. Of course the things have been modernised so to say, but broken down to the bare facts it is trade as with any commodity.
Via Italy the women are brought to countries like Germany or Austria however no country can be excluded. Sarcastically one could say that the various mafias from the different countries cooperate to such perfection that our politicians could use it as an example as how to improve the cooperation within the European Union
_________________________________________________________________
16:50 Speaker (25 seconds)
In the Greek Ministry of Public Order one tries to limit the damage. For years the government ignored the problem but with the Olympic Games they are now trying to take action against the mafia with harsh police operations. Regina Desfiniotou, member of the “Unit Against Human Trafficking” admits that the problem can only be solved through international cooperation.
_________________________________________________________________
17:16 (Translation) Regina Desfiniotou
Ministry of Public Order – Greece
We are not at all satisfied, in the sense that we could say that we have solved the problem. Quite on the contrary, however we are trying our best. At the moment it is a huge problem and is categorised as the third top crime. It is a very widespread and involves large sums of money. One has to say that the problem of illegal Human Trafficking is a phenomenon which is constantly evolving and changing. In other words at the moment prostitution and forced prostitution are the main results of this phenomenon but in future this could also change. And we are trying to do our best.
_________________________________________________________________
17:54 Speaker (13 seconds)
The current international efforts seem to be like the famous drop in the bucket.
Even if the sudden interest in combating human trafficking in Greece should dislodge the mafia the question that remains is where will we find her next.