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

Child Prostitution

The Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children

Republic of Estonia [ Country-by-Country Reports ]

The Republic of Estonia [map] borders on the Baltic Sea (W); the gulf of Riga (SW), the gulf of Finland (N); Latvia (S); and Russia (E). Tallinn is its capital and largest city. Estonia, as a new member of the World Trade Organization and the European Union, has transitioned effectively to a modern market economy with strong ties to the West, including the pegging of its currency to the euro. The economy benefits from strong electronics and telecommunications sectors and is greatly influenced by developments in Finland, Sweden, and Germany, three major trading partners.

CAUTION:  The following links and accompanying text have been culled from the web to illuminate the situation in Estonia. 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.

Quick Search for Missing Children - Select Gender, Country (Estonia), and Years Missing

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

INCIDENCE AND NATURE OF CHILD LABOR - Children are engaged in prostitution in Estonia. Estonia is a source country for women and girls trafficked internally and abroad for the purpose of commercial sexual exploitation. There is also evidence that children are involved in drug trafficking, and there is a connection between drug use and children engaged in prostitution.

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

CHILDREN - There were reports of child prostitution. Trafficking of children for sexual exploitation was a problem.

TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS – A recent study carried out by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in which more than 160 domestic and international sources (including EUROPOL, INTERPOL, law enforcement, NGOs, IOM, and governmental ministries from the region) participated, estimates that the number of women and children trafficked into, through, and from the country between 2001 and 2004 was below 100. Women and minors were trafficked from the country to Nordic countries and Western Europe or in or to Estonia for sexual exploitation.

Concluding Observations of the Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC) - 2003

[48] The Committee is concerned at the insufficient information and awareness of the extent of commercial sexual exploitation and trafficking of children. It is also concerned that there is no specific prohibition in law of trafficking in human beings, including for the purpose of prostitution.

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

[B] COUNTRY UPDATES – ESTONIA – In Estonia, 26% of prostitutes are minors. 50% of the exploiters are estimated to be Estonian and the rest are foreigners, mainly Russian, Swedish and Finnish nationals. Around 70% of the street boys have been, or are, involved in CSEC as a means of survival. The majority of street children in Tallinn are of Russian origin. In Tartu, there is also a problem of street children involved in CSE, but their origin is not Russian and they are usually runaways from violent families. Child sex tourism and child pornography are associated mainly with Finnish nationals, with the abuse taking place in hotels in Tallinn.

Report by Special Rapporteur [DOC]

[40] The sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography constitute criminal offences.  Children from the age of 14 can be criminally liable but if they are victims of sale, trafficking or involvement in prostitution and pornography, they will not be criminally liable.  In 2001, there were 58 prosecutions under the Criminal Code for inducing minors to engage in crime or prostitution.  For criminal proceedings involving minors, there are currently four specially furnished and equipped rooms for interviewing child victims in Estonia, but there is no special training for prosecutors, judges and social workers to handle such cases.  Rehabilitation programs, including counseling, therapy and support services, are available for children in the bigger cities only.

Protection Project Country Report on Finland [DOC]

FORMS OF TRAFFICKING - Tallinn, Estonia, and St. Petersburg, Russia, have become large centers for child prostitution, and to a large extent the customers come from Finland. Buying sex from minors is a crime according to Finnish law, even when it takes place abroad; however, there is less risk of getting caught in those cities. A number of Finnish men have recently been investigated for pedophile crimes in Estonia. A Finnish public radio reported that several Finnish firms were organizing sex tours to Estonia, and some of the girls whose services have been used on such tours have been only 12 to 13 years of age.

PPAT-Estonia - Project for the Prevention of Adolescent Trafficking in Estonia

III. TARGET POPULATION - ADOLESCENT SEX WORKERS UNDER THE AGE OF 25 -  PPAT is unique because it has a special component targeting adolescent sex workers, the group most at risk for becoming victims of trafficking.  Because of the stigmatization surrounding prostitution, many anti-trafficking groups try to hide the reality that many trafficking victims knew or suspected that they would be working in the sex industry.  As a result, trafficking prevention programs neglect prostitutes, the population most at risk.  PPAT incorporates a special component targeting adolescent prostitutes in an effort to protect the health and human rights of all adolescents.

No indication of widespread organised child prostitution in Finland

Mero believes that Finland does not have any real organised child prostitution activities. However, he says that some boys and girls have been known to sell themselves near Helsinki's Central Railway Station. In addition to Finns, child prostitutes in Finland have come from Russia, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania.

It is a crime under Finnish law to buy sex services from anyone under the age of 18 - even if the crime itself takes place in outside Finland. There is a certain amount of child sex tourism originating in Finland, mainly to Russia, Estonia, and the Far East.

The Incidence of Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children in the Baltic Sea Region

Statistical data on the issue of commercial sexual exploitation of children are lacking in every country in the Baltic Sea Region. Nevertheless, even though some Member States do not have any information about the existence of commercial sexual exploitation of children, the Expert Group has information that some perpetrators come from these states. Estonia: About 60 % of the girls who prostitute themselves in Tallinn are between 15 and 19 years old.

Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children in the Baltic Sea Region - Legislation

ESTONIA - There are special provisions against commercial sexual exploitation of children in the Criminal Code. It is illegal to persuade or mediate a minor into prostitution, to purchase or sell children and to exchange or steal a child for the purpose of revenge or personal profit or some other personal motive. The sanction for these crimes is imprisonment.

Estonia - Children and Adolescents Involved in Drug Use and Trafficking: A Rapid Assessment [PDF]

[page 57] 9.1 CHILDREN ENGAGED IN PROSTITUTION - Recently the engagement of juveniles in prostitution has become a more and more acute problem in Estonia and it is very closely connected with the consumption of drugs. Unfortunately, this problem has been overshadowed by other social concerns, and juvenile prostitution does not get the attention it deserves in our country.

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