Prosecute the johns and stop commodifying women
Re: “Victorian take,” Letter, Dec. 27.
I was born in the Netherlands, where prostitution is legal. Sex trafficking has increased dramatically, often from Eastern European countries such as Moldova and Ukraine. Most are uneducated poor girls, being offered a chance to leave poverty and get a real job in an exciting part of Europe, such as Amsterdam.
They end up in brothels. Were they able to get out, often their families would not accept them back, as they are labelled prostitutes.
I visited a safe house in Moldova this year, speaking to the girls who were rescued and being rehabilitated. Organized crime is having a field day with this and sex trafficking is growing enormously worldwide. It is an extremely profitable business, since a body can be sold over and over. Why would we want to support this?
Here at home, would we want a 14-year-old to enter a legal profession, selling her body? How much choice do you think she has returning to a normal life after? How much damage has been done to her physically, emotionally and spiritually, and how much self-worth will she have?
Canada should adopt the Nordic model, where the johns are prosecuted. Norway has seen a great decline in prostitution with this. Do we really think it is empowering to have women sell their bodies and call it a legal profession? Annette Mancuso-van den Berg, Calgary