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

Child Prostitution

The Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children

In the first ten years of the 21^st Century - 2000 to 2009

Republic of Hungary Hungary has made the transition from a centrally planned to a market economy, with a per capita income nearly two-thirds that of the EU-25 average. The private sector accounts for more than 80% of GDP. The global financial crisis, declining exports, and low domestic consumption and fixed asset accumulation, dampened by government austerity measures, will result in a negative growth rate of about -1.5% to -2.5% in 2009. [The World Factbook, U.S.C.I.A. 2009]

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

*** FEATURED ARTICLE ***

Children trafficked in Hungary

www.stopdemand.org/afawcs0112878/ID=123/newsdetails.html

www.businesstravellers.org/archives/children-trafficked-in-hungary/

Police in Szabolcs-Szatmár county have arrested three men who abducted two girls and forced them into prostitution. The girls - aged 14 and 15 - were forced into a car in the eastern town of Nyíregyháza on June 20 and held captive in a flat. A police spokesman said that proceedings were underway against one 22-year old and two 45-year old men for suspected violation of personal freedom.

Experts agree that there is no reliable data on the number of minors who are subjected to similar ordeals each year. According to Anna Betlen, a former Interior Ministry employee who is now an independent expert on the issues surrounding human trafficking, it would require more people, money and time to assess the scale of the problem than the government is currently prepared to spare

*** ARCHIVES ***

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

INCIDENCE AND NATURE OF CHILD LABOR - Children work as beggars in urban areas, and also as prostitutes, according to Budapest Police, although the scope of the problem is unknown. Hungary is primarily a transit country, but also a source and destination country, for trafficking in persons, including children. Trafficking in persons occurs from Romania, Ukraine, Moldova, Bulgaria, Russia, and the Balkans to and through Hungary to Western Europe and the United States for the purposes of commercial sexual exploitation.

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

CHILDREN - Child prostitution was not a common practice, although isolated incidents occurred. Severe penalties existed under the law for those persons convicted of sexually abusing children by engaging in such acts. Although child prostitutes are not criminally prosecuted, they can be remanded to juvenile centers for rehabilitation and to complete school. Trafficking in children for the purpose of sexual exploitation was a problem.

Concluding Observations of the Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC) - 1998

[22] The Committee is concerned about the insufficiency of legal and other measures to address the issue of sexual exploitation of children, including child prostitution and trafficking of children.

Children trafficked in Hungary

www.stopdemand.org/afawcs0112878/ID=123/newsdetails.html

www.businesstravellers.org/archives/children-trafficked-in-hungary/

Police in Szabolcs-Szatmár county have arrested three men who abducted two girls and forced them into prostitution. The girls - aged 14 and 15 - were forced into a car in the eastern town of Nyíregyháza on June 20 and held captive in a flat. A police spokesman said that proceedings were underway against one 22-year old and two 45-year old men for suspected violation of personal freedom.

Experts agree that there is no reliable data on the number of minors who are subjected to similar ordeals each year. According to Anna Betlen, a former Interior Ministry employee who is now an independent expert on the issues surrounding human trafficking, it would require more people, money and time to assess the scale of the problem than the government is currently prepared to spare

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

www.ecpat.net/eng/Ecpat_inter/publication/other/english/Doc_page/ecpat_5th_a4a_2001_full.doc

At one time this article had been archived and may possibly still be accessible [here]

[B] COUNTRY UPDATES – HUNGARY – There is very little information about CSEC, although research was done by the police last year. An Internet police unit has also been established in Hungary to monitor the Internet for different types of crime, including CSEC.

Statistical Dimension of Sexual Exploitation of Children

www.indianngos.com/issue/child/sexual/statistics/statistics17.htm

At one time this article had been archived and may possibly still be accessible [here]

There are an estimated 500 children engaged in prostitution. (CATW Fact Book, citing "Hungary considers legalised prostitution", 1 December 1997, citing UNICEF)

There are an estimated 500 child prostitutes in Budapest. (Guardian, August 1996, reprinted in ECPAT Bulletin)

The proportion of girls under 18 in prostitution, according to the police, is 5-10% in Budapest. (ECPAT International, Helena Karlen and Christene Hagnen, Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children in Some Eastern European Countries, March 1996)

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