The following is a letter to President Vaclav Klaus and members of the Czech government opposing the legalization of prostitution in the Czech Republic. (See Donna M. Hughes’s “Don’t Legalize,” NRO, May 11, 2004.)
For more information, contact Donna Hughes (University of Rhode Island), Lisa Thompson (Salvation Army, USA), or Barrett Duke (Southern Baptist Convention, Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission).
May 5, 2004
Vaclav Klaus, President, Czech Republic
Petr Pithart, President, Senate, Czech Republic
Senator–MUDr. Premysl Sobotka, 1st Vice President, Senate, Czech Republic
PhDr. Lubomir Zaoralek, Chairperson, Chamber of Deputies, Czech Republic
JUDr. Vojtech Filip, Vice Chairperson, Chamber of Deputies, Czech Republic
Ing. Jan Kasal, Vice Chairperson, Chamber of Deputies, Czech Republic
JUDr. Jitka Kupcova, Vice Chairperson, Chamber of Deputies, Czech Republic
MUDr. Mgr. Ivan Langer, Vice Chairman, Chamber of Deputies, Czech Republic Miroslava Nemcova, Vice Chairperson, Chamber of Deputies, Czech Republic
Honorable Leaders of the Czech Republic:
We are writing to express our profound concern over the prospect that the Czech Republic may be planning to legalize prostitution. We believe that such action would be a terrible mistake for the country as a whole and, in particular, for the women and children of the Eastern Europe region who will be victims of the Czech sex trade.
We write because we also believe that such a step will irreparably harm relations between the Czech Republic and the United States and other countries, including Russia, from which the trafficked women will come.
Particularly in Prague and in the area along the German border, the Czech Republic is fast gaining an international reputation as a prime destination for European and other “sex tourists” and pedophiles. The Czech Republic has also become a transit country for human trafficking and smuggling. According to Prague’s deputy mayor Rudolf Blazek, “The spread of brothels, peep shows and prostitution in the city is becoming unbearable. Prague is starting to resemble Amsterdam.” To us, it is as stunning as it is dreadful that Prague and the Republic are considering copying the practices of Amsterdam in an effort not to become like it.
As is true in the Netherlands, we are certain that legalizing prostitution within the Czech Republic will not curb abuses such as child prostitution and enslaving sex trafficking. Organized crime controls the “industry” and, in a legalized regime, it will have an enhanced capacity to do so. As the experiences of such countries as the Netherlands, Australia and Germany have clearly demonstrated, the expected benefits of legalization never materialize even as its prior abuses literally metastasize. With legalization:
‐ Organized crime and criminal prostitution is not reduced. The criminal enterprises adjust their operations and continue to run illegal operations alongside the legal businesses they will also and inevitably control.
‐ Street prostitution is not reduced. In Australia, prostitution and brothels were legalized to do away with street prostitution. A decade later, street prostitution has dramatically increased. The Netherlands legalized prostitution and brothels, and there are growing area of its cities where trafficked and drug addicted women and girls are visibly bought and sold every night.
‐ Prostitution and trafficking are not reduced. The Czech Republic’s Ministry of Interior has said that legalization of prostitution will reduce the trade. This has not been the case in any city or country that has legalized prostitution or set up lawful “tolerance zones.” In fact, such cities and zones have in all known cases become destination sites for sex tourists and market places for sexually transmitted diseases, infectious diseases, and HIV/AIDS.
‐ There will be no tax benefit to cities or the state. Germany has found that neither the women nor the brothel owners pay the fees required by the new law.
Brothels are sexual gulags for women and girls. While a few “show brothels” may be set up as facades, the reality is that most brothels are and will forever be places of sexual slavery where women and girls are reduced to chattel at the hands of traffickers, pimps, and brothel owners, with organized crime effectively controlling all. Legalization has proven a powerful tool for organized crime to gain revenue and legitimacy and a greatly enhanced capacity to insinuate itself into, and significantly corrupt, the political mechanisms of democratic countries.
Further: The notion that “sex work” is a potentially empowering career option for women is a big lie with which the trafficking of millions of girls and women has been rationalized. Thus, the recently enacted United States Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2003, requires the State Department to view the policies of legalizing countries in terms of whether its own citizens–here the sisters and daughters of Czechs–enter into the trade.
We of course recognize the sovereignty of the Czech Republic to ultimately do as its political mechanisms determine, and rejoice in your democratic freedoms. But we are free as well–free to advise Czech officials not to be taken in by the siren song of legalization, free to hope that Czech’s reputation and appeal will not be traduced, free to urge political responses by the United States, and free to urge similar responses by other countries whose women will be massively trafficked into the Czech Republic, free to resist Czech legalization actions that in our view will inevitably have major, adverse effects throughout the world.
The latter point is of particular consequence because the Czech Republic has become the world’s prime battleground for the legalization and normalization of the sex trade. This is so because trafficking mafias have frantically sought to use the Republic to thwart and arrest the momentum created by United States efforts and commitments of the United States and other countries. In the case of the United States, its determination to eliminate worldwide sex trafficking is set forth in the Trafficking Victims Protection Act and President Bush’s September 23, 2003 speech to the United Nations. Thus, no less than such 19th century models such as the English parliamentarian William Wilberforce and his American abolitionist counterparts brooked no compromise with slave traders and slave trading countries, we pledge similar action towards countries that facilitate the mass enslavement of girls and women.
A decision to accommodate traffickers, pimps and organized crime’s slave trade in girls and women will make the Czech Republic the gateway for the flow of women and children from poorer Eastern and Central European countries to sex industries throughout Western Europe and the world – an act unworthy of Czechs’ traditions of fighting for their own freedom. It is an act we will resist with every democratic means available to us, and will fight in Congress and our legislatures, through our organized women’s movements and from tens of thousands of church and synagogue pulpits. At a minimum, we are determined that our efforts will, in financial terms alone, be more costly to the Republic–and not in terms of tourism only–than any hypothetical financial gains claimed, with no supporting evidence, by Czech legalizers.
We close by urging you to reject the calls for legalization that sully the reputation of the Czech Republic and dishonor its history. Please take a leadership role in resisting the trade in women and children and please, in a manner consistent with your traditions, maintain the Republic as a model for human rights and democracy.
At your convenience, we stand ready to meet and speak with you and other Republic leaders.
Very truly yours,
Richard D. Land, D.Phil., President
Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission
Southern Baptist Convention
Nissan Ben Ami, Machon Todaa Awareness Center, Israel
One Tsungba Aonok, Educator, King’s Kids International, Nagaland, North East India
Robert Aronson, MiraMed Institute, Moscow, Russia/Seattle, WA, USA
Claudia Barlow, Shelter for Life, Oshkosh, WI, USA
Winnie Bartel, International Director, Women’s Commission, World Evangelical Alliance
Commissioner W. Todd Bassett, National Commander, The Salvation Army USA
N. Belik, House of Culture, Nizhny Novgorod, Russia
L. Boichenko, Ph.D., Karelian Center for Gender Studies, Petrozavodsk, Russia
Twiss Butler, Alexandria, VA, USA
N. Bychkova, Women’s Unity NGO, Moscow, Russia
Dr. Clive Calver, President, World Relief
Rita Chaikin, Coordinator, Anti-Trafficking Project Women to Women-Haifa Feminist Center, Israel
J. Chambers, Women and Children First, Moscow, Russia
Phyllis Chesler, Ph.D., New York City, NY, USA
Katherine Y. Chon, Co-Executive Director, Polaris Project, Washington, D.C., USA
Richard Cizik, Vice President for Governmental Affairs, National Association for Evangelicals, USA
Stephanie Cordellier, Collectif pour l’bolition de la prostitution et pour la penalisation des clients, Cilleneuve d’Ascq, France
Janice Shaw Crouse, Ph.D., Senior Fellow, The Beverly LaHaye Institute, Concerned Women for America, USA
N. Dernova, Russia Children’s Fund, Nizhny Novgorod, Russia
Catherine J. Douglass, Executive Director, inMotion, Inc., USA
Michele Dayras, Presidente de SOS Sexisme, France
Bernice Dubois, European Council of Women, International Zioniste Organisation Federation, France
Gary Edmonds, General Secretary, World Evangelical Alliance
Derek Ellerman, Co-Executive Director, Polaris Project, Washington, D.C., USA
Juliette Engel, MiraMed Institute, Moscow, Russia/Seattle, WA, USA
Rev. Alvin Erickson, Executive Director, Adults Saving Kids, USA
Bernard J. Evans, President, Elim Fellowship, USA
Deborah Fikes, Public Relations/Midland Alliance; Director, Basic Ministries, Inc., Midland, TX, USA
M. Galitskaya, Public Innovation Fund of Tatarstan, Kazan, Russia
Martha Gallahue, The National Service Conference of the American Ethical Union, USA
A. Garmonova, Human Rights Organization “Demos”, Voronezh, Russia
Robert P. George, McCormick Professor of Jurisprudence; Director, James Madison Program in American Ideals and Institutions, Princeton University, USA
G. Gnezdilova, Women’s Crisis Center–”Gelena”, Belgorod, Russia
Leah Gruenpeter Gold, Machon Todaa Awareness Center, Israel
Reggie Gomes, Convenor, Forum for Child Rights, Santa Cruz, India
N. Grebenshchikova, Women Voters League, Novosibirsk, Russia
Patricia Green, Rahab Ministries, Bangkok, Thailand
Joseph K. Grieboski, President, Institute on Religion and Public Policy, Washington, DC
Stephen D. Grubman-Black, Ph.D., Professor, Women’s Studies and Communication Studies, University of Rhode Island, USA
Colleen Harbison, Asia Area Manager, World Concern Asia
Harmonious Development Society, Tblisi, Georgia
Lois A. Herman, International Women’s Program Chair, SVU-Czechoslovak Society of Arts and Sciences, Minneapolis, MN, USA
Dr. Jerry Hilton, President, Midland Ministerial Alliance, Midland, TX, USA
Rosalie Hornblower and Willits Sawyer, CFRE, Producers, Bucharest Express, Cambridge, MA, USA
Michael Horowitz, Senior Fellow, Hudson Institute, USA
Kristen Houser, MOXIE Resources, LLC, Omaha, Nebraska, USA
Bishop Clyde M. Hughes, International Pentecostal Church of Christ, London, OH, USA
Donna Hughes, Professor & Carlson Endowed Chair in Women’s Studies, U of RI, USA
Donna Rice Hughes, Chairman and President, Enough is Enough
Lina Izotovz, Social Partnership–”Women’s Interest”, Omsk, Russia
Rev. Heber C. Jentzsch, President, Church of Scientology International
N. Khodyreva, President, Angel Coalition; Director, Center for Women, St. Petersburg, Russia
Phyllis Kilbourne, International Director, Rainbows of Hope, USA
Diane Knippers, President, Institute on Religion and Democracy, USA
Rev. Mark Kohl, Midland Ministerial Alliance, Midland, TX, USA
Andrea Lafferty, Executive Director for Government Relations, Traditional Values Coalition, USA
Mary Anne Layden, Co-Director, Sexual Trauma and Psychopathology Program, Center for Cognity Therapy, University of Pennsylvania, USA
Laura J. Lederer, Fairfax, Virginia, USA
Dorchen A. Leidholdt, Esq., Director, Sanctuary for Families Center for Battered Women’s Legal Services; Co-Executive Director, Coalition Against Trafficking in Women, New York City, USA
Donna Robin Lippman, Incest and Rape Recovery Center, New York, NY, USA
Emily Llanza
Dr. Jo Anne Lyon, Executive Director, World Hope International
Connie Mackey, Vice President for Government Affairs, Family Research Council, USA
Malka Marcovich President of MAPP (Movement for the Abolition of Prostitution and Pornography and All Forms of Sexual Violence and Sexist Discrimination), France
I. Martyniuk, Moldovan Women’s Organization–Civil Initiative, Kishinev, Moldova
Faith J.H. McDonnell, Director, Church Alliance for a New Sudan; Director, Religious Liberty Programs, Institute on Religion and Democracy, USA
Sr. Ethna McDermott, Good Shepherd Sisters, Dublin, Ireland
Michael McGill, The Asha Forum Facilitator, for Viva Network
Together, fighting child sexual abuse
Patrick McGrath, Stony Point, NY, USA
Scott McMurray, Communications Director, Maxim Institute, New Zealand
Sandra McNeill, Campaign to End Rape, England
Elizabeth Meyer, Phillips Academy, Andover, MA, USA
Mary Meyer, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
Vicki Meyer, University of South Florida, Sarasota, FL, USA
G. Mirzoeva, NGO “Mother”, Dushanbe, Tjikistan
Dr. Jae Joong Nam, President, Aegis Foundation
David Neff, Editor and Vice-President, Christianity Today, USA
Network Against Commercial Sexual Exploitation and Trafficking, Mumbai, India
NISHANT Women’s Collective, Mumbai, India
Clare Nolan, NGO Representative, Congregation of Sisters of the Good Shepherd
Dr. Marvin Olasky, Editor-In-Chief, WORLD, USA
N.A. Panina, Women’s Initiative, Tula, Russia
Robert Peters, President, Morality in Media, USA
G. Pirogova, Mstinka Women’s Movement, Borovichy, Novgorod, Russia
Sr. Prisca, Sisters of the Good Shepherd, Ostrava, Czech Republic
Denise Ritchie, Stop Demand Foundation, Auckland, New Zealand
Lisa Romero, CIRA, Milano, Italy
Diana E.H. Russell, Emerita Professor of Sociology, Mills College, USA
Scottish Coalition Against Sexual Exploitation, Rape Crisis Scotland, Glasgow, Scotland
Ramesh Sepehrrad, National Committee of Women for a Democratic Iran, USA
Sereda Women’s Alliance, Barnaul, Russia
V. Shakina, Baikal Center of Legal Reforms, Irkutsk, Russia
V. Shelkova, Center of Help to Family and Children–”Trust”, Yaroslavl, Russia
Raisa Shorova, Union of Women of Kabardino, Balkaria, Nalchik, Russia
L. Faye Short, President, RENEW Network, Cornelia, GA, USA
L. Shtyleva, Gender Education Lab, Congress of Women of Kola Peninsula, Murmansk, Russia
Maria Shtyleva, Crisis Center Priyut, Murmansk, Russia
Ronald J. Sider, President, Evangelicals for Social Action
Indrani Sinha, SANLAAP, Calcutta, India
Linnea W. Smith, MD, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
N. Solntceva, Women’s NGO “Dignity” Dubna, Moscow Oblast, Russia
Marianna Solomatova, Angel Coalition, Moscow, Russia
SOS Violences Sexuelles, Montreal, Canada
Eva Siprova, Friend of Obscansky Institut, Prague, Czech Republic
Father Jon Stasney, President, Midland Association of Churches, Midland, TX, USA
David Stevens, M.D., Executive Director, Christian Medical Association
S. Sysoyeva, Women’s Association–”Hope”, Kamensk, Rostov Oblast, Russia
Susan Talbott, Redmond, WA, USA
Thomas E. Trask, General Superintendent, Assemblies of God
T. Troinova, Information Women’s Network, Moscow, Russia
Saratov I. Tsareva, Business Women’s Club, Saratov, Russia
M. Tyasto, Siberia Consultancy Center–”Connect”, Novosibirsk, Russia
S. Uralova, Women’s Union Angara, Irkutsk, Russia
I. Urtayeva, Novgorod Women’s Parliament, Veliky Novgorod, Russia
L. Vasilieva, Women’s Commonwealth NGO, Chelyabinsk, Russia
G. Volkova, Malookhitnsky House of Diligence, St. Petersburg, Russia
Paul M. Weyrich, National Chairman, Coalitions for America, USA
S. Yakimenko, Project Kesher, Moscow, Russia
L. Yerokhina, Ph.D., Gender Center, Vladivostok, Russia
Tatiana Zabelina, Women and Family Center, Moscow, Russia
L. Zalesskaya, Social Service Center–”Family”, Tver, Russia