Human Trafficking in [Bulgaria] [other countries]
Street Children in [Bulgaria] [other countries]
Child Prostitution in [Bulgaria] [other countries]
 

Child Prostitution

The Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children

Republic of Bulgaria [ Country-by-Country Reports ]

The Republic of Bulgaria [map], located in SE Europe on the E Balkan Peninsula, is bounded by the Black Sea (E), by Romania (N), by Serbia and Montenegro and Macedonia (W), by Greece (S), and by European Turkey (SE). Its capital city is Sofia. Bulgaria has averaged 4% growth since 2000 and has begun to attract significant amounts of foreign direct investment. Corruption in the public administration, a weak judiciary, and the presence of organized crime remain the largest challenges for Bulgaria.

CAUTION:  The following links and accompanying text have been culled from the web to illuminate the situation in Bulgaria. Some of these links may lead to websites that present allegations that are unsubstantiated, misleading or even false. No attempt has been made to validate their authenticity or to verify their content.

U.S. Dept of Labor Bureau of International Labor Affairs

INCIDENCE AND NATURE OF CHILD LABOR - Children are involved in the distribution of drugs and in prostitution, sometimes working with organized crime rings. Many victims of child prostitution are ethnic Roma children. Bulgaria is a transit country and, to a lesser extent, a country of origin and destination for trafficking in girls for sexual exploitation. Bulgarian citizens are also internally trafficked for sexual exploitation. Victims are primarily trafficked from Ukraine, Romania, Moldova, Russia, and Central Asia through Bulgaria into Western, Southern, and Eastern Europe. Ethnic Roma children are disproportionately represented among victims.

Bur of Democracy, Human Rights & Labor - Country Reports on Human Rights Practices - 2005

CHILDREN – The MOI identified 398 children as "at risk" of being forced into prostitution during the first nine months of the year, compared to 510 in 2004. Child prostitution reportedly was particularly common among Romani girls; there were no known cases of boys engaged in prostitution

In December 2004 the SACP reported that 625 children were known to be either living or working on the streets and were primarily involved in begging, prostitution, or car window washing.

Concluding Observations Of The Committee On The Rights Of The Child (CRC) - 1997

[14] The Committee is also concerned by the reported ill-treatment of children in the family and in institutions and the lack of adequate measures for the psycho-social recovery from such abuses. Cases of ill-treatment of children by law enforcement personnel in or outside detention centers are also a very grave matter of concern, even if they are isolated cases. Furthermore, the Committee is concerned by the recent rise in child prostitution and the production and dissemination of pornographic materials involving children. In this regard, the fact that no specific and appropriate legislation and programs exist to prevent and combat sexual abuse and exploitation is a serious concern to the Committee.

READING ROOM: Bulgaria's working girls

In Bulgaria, prostitution, like corruption, is much more open. It does not confine itself to seedy ghettos or ads in phone boxes, nor is it organised into a “red light area” as it is in Amsterdam and Hamburg. Most of the girls come from the destitute Roma population. They are usually organised by a local pimp, who takes a percentage of their earnings and chauffeurs them to and from their spot on a busy main road each day. They stand there for hours on end in freezing winter winds and burning hot sunshine. They relieve themselves in nearby hedgerows and are responsible for taking along their own food and beverage. A 2006 poll carried out by the Bulgarian Centre for Gender Studies suggests that the lack of cash and job alternatives is the leading motive for girls who take up prostitution. In the resorts, the pimps are often nightclub bouncers, hotel workers or cab drivers.

All of the girls I have seen soliciting are over the age of consent, which is 14 in Bulgaria, most are in their late teens and early 20s. Many are exceptionally attractive making you double take as to whether they are actually “on the game” or just innocently waiting for a lift. All of the girls I spoke to were extremely friendly. “We work out of need,” 19-year-old Sonia recounts. “I can earn more money doing this work than working a 13-hour shift in a bar in the resorts. It is just work for me. I don’t really think about what I do.”

Child Prostitution Decreasing in Bulgaria

The decrease in child prostitution was confirmed by the 2006 US Department of State Report on Human Rights Practises in Bulgaria, which stated that "the Ministry of Interior identified 255 children as 'at risk' of being forced into prostitution between January and October, compared to 398 in 2005."

While child prostitution is on the decrease, a hurdle in the fight against it seems to be a lack of a legal framework. The Bulgarian judiciary does not offer a definition of child prostitution and does not define prostitution in general as a crime, Petkov pointed out.

Mentioning the strict laws against kidnapping for prostitution purposes that are currently in place, Petkov added "Bulgaria is not considered a destination for so-called 'child sex tourism'."

ECPAT: Fifth Report on implementation of the Agenda for Action [DOC]

[B] COUNTRY UPDATES – BULGARIA – The Agency was created in January 2001, and has CSEC has one of its priorities. A working group has been established in the National Council for the Protection of Children. It has decided that members of the group will coordinate efforts and search for solutions to CSEC.

Child Prostitution Flourish in Bulgaria, Romania

Child prostitution in Bulgaria and Romania is on the rise, according to a research, published by UNICEF.

Destination Bulgaria

COMMERCIAL SEXUAL EXPLOITATION OF CHILDREN IN TOURISM - Bulgaria is a transit country for people traffickers from the Ukraine, Romania, Russia and Uzbekistan. But Bulgarians are also transported to other European states for sexual exploitation, primarily Gypsy women and girls. Bulgaria is also a target country for child abusers. According to non-governmental organizations, the victims are mostly girls, and in many cases they are pressed into sex with strangers because of the living conditions in their families.

Basic Education and Policy Support Activity (BEPS)

[photo caption] A common sight in Bulgaria - A taxi advertises an offer for young girls to passengers

Svetlana’s Journey - A Film Based on True Events

SYNOPSIS - Svetlana’s journey is a story about “Stolen Innocence”. The story is a gruesome retelling through recollections of a 13 yr. old girl after escaping the prison where she was held captive by pimps.

FACE TO FACE :: 5 Minutes in Bulgaria Equal 20

The reason why I wrote the film Svetlana's Journey is because I was touched in my soul by the tribulations of this young 13 year old girl here in Bulgaria.

IRISEM

[scroll down to … NEGLECTED CHILDREN SOCIETY (SNC) ]

- Prevention of violence against children, child abuse, child neglect, child prostitution and child sexual trafficking;

- Supporting children at social and criminal risk and

- Re-integration of abused, neglected children and victims of commercial sexual exploitation of children.

Miss Humanity

"Magi" Vulchanova, Goodwill Ambassador and Face to Face Spokesperson, has a unique mission in life, which she took on after being crowned Miss Bulgaria 2000. Magi spends most of her time in South Africa, but during her visits to Bulgaria she leads many campaigns, and works with girls vulnerable to human trafficking. Magi's focus is educating and talking to girls from orphanages in Blagoevgrad's and Rousse, which are border checkpoints where financially vulnerable girls are often trafficked abroad. In conversations with children from orphanages and schools, Magi explains the dangers that children might encounter when talking to strangers who offer strange work opportunities.

ECPAT's 4th Report on Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children

TRAFFICKING IN CHILDREN FOR SEXUAL PURPOSES - Hungary and Poland are receiver, sender and transit countries for the trafficking of children for sexual purposes. Romania is a sender and receiver country but Bulgaria is only a sender country. Hungary and Poland receive children from Romania, Ukraine and Russia. The main destinations for children trafficked from and through Poland are Germany, The Netherlands and Belgium. Many of the victims are boys. Furthermore, in Poland students voluntarily prostitute themselves in Germany over the weekends in order to earn money.

All material used herein reproduced under the fair use exception of 17 USC § 107 for noncommercial, nonprofit, and educational use

 
Human Trafficking in [Bulgaria] [other countries]
Street Children in [Bulgaria] [other countries]
Child Prostitution in [Bulgaria] [other countries]