More and more girls in the hands of loverboys

"We believe that the problem far exceeds what we are seeing," said prosecutor Wouter Bos of The Hague Prosecutor's Office. "The supply and demand were reunited earlier because it was necessary to go into the street of prostitution. They were well controlled, really only adults were working there. But now, supply and demand are uniting via the Internet, allowing young people to actively participate in this work. "

Each year, more than 1,300 girls are sexually exploited, says the National Rapporteur on Trafficking in Human Beings. The number of Loverboy victims involved is not tracked. Last year, only 141 cases of human trafficking were reported to the criminal prosecution service. According to Bos, this is partly due to the low number of statements: "Girls do not dare to report by shame or fear of their loverboy. And they will face a difficult criminal trial. "

Dirty and Lube Mattress

Anita, 16 years old – not her real name – worked for a 24-year-old man from Zoetermeer, her lover T. put ads on sexjobs.nl, Anita had sex with men and half the money earned on T. The 16-year-old girl did not report: "He did wrong, but I also have things wrong. If I remember correctly, he should have told me that you should not have done it. "

Anita was found by police in an apartment in The Hague following complaints of sound pollution.There were four men inside, including T. There was a dirty mattress on the floor. The police found various packages of condoms and lubricants Anita confessed to the police station having sex with men

In a hotel or at the central station

In The Hague, an organization that helps victims, regularly hear stories of young girls who have had to work in illegal locations: "They are taken to a certain building or hotel, where they go with a customer to the central station. human traffickers. "Young people stay in this situation for a long time because we lose contact and control," says Nicole Harms of Shop Den Haag

Agent Wouter Bos wants loverboys to be locked and think that part of the solution lies in persecuting customers. "No offer without request. These clients are guilty of serious criminal offenses by having sex with minors. It's a thorn in front of us that only penalties are inflicted, clients must get a prison sentence. "

the victims too well.These girls then tell us: if anyone had asked you how old you were and if you wanted it, the client could have taken action and called the police.They often ask themselves why no one called me then?

After being found by the police, 16-year-old Anita spent some time in a closed institution and now lives at home, at work and at home. go back to school. "I treated him for myself. But I found it very difficult to stop talking to T. I forgave him and I give him his freedom. I can not impose everything on him, it is also my fault. "