Police launch large-scale crackdown on illegal brothels

In Victor Hugo's Les Miserables, a tragic character "Fantine" is mired so deeply in poverty that she is forced to work as a prostitute, making "Fantine" a perhaps appropriate title for this past weekend's police raids on over 435 brothels across the Czech Republic. Interior Minister Stanislav Gross ordered the raids in response to growing criticism, both at home and abroad, that police were doing little to contain the illegal sex trade and in particular with child prostitution.

Police launch large-scale crackdown on illegal brothels

Photo: CTK

The operation "Fantine" took place over Friday night in which nearly 5,000 police officers raided a total of 435 brothels across the country. Police checked the documents of over 4,000 sex industry workers. Despite the number of raids only 21 people were charged, and 12 still remain in custody. Interior Minister Stanislav Gross held a press conference late Friday night to reveal this information. He seemed quite satisfied with the operation's results. But Czech police failed to unveil any evidence of child prostitution and Gross has been criticised as being incapable of successfully undertaking such an operation.

Photo: CTK

It is questionable as to whether or not information about the raid had leaked before the operation was carried out. Also, why was there only a focus on brothels? The chairman of the lower house's security committee, the Civic Democrats' Jan Vidim, comments.

"The Prague authorities should create a bill, which would facilitate moving prostitutes off the streets into brothels where it is easier to monitor and have them undergo regular medical check ups. One of the major flaws in the 'Fantine' operation is that it focused exclusively on brothels and completely ignored the prostitutes on the streets. These two existing systems in fact contradict each other. The Prague authorities and the police should agree on joint action."

Stanislav Gross, Photo: CTK

According to different reports, the Czech Republic has become a transit point and also destination for large numbers of sexual workers from former communist bloc countries. Mr. Gross explained how the operation was carried out and some of its limitations.

"The procedure is as follows: some pimps of the brothels seize the prostitute's documents. When we found such cases the women were immediately taken out of the brothel because there is a legal reason for checking the person's identity. If they had their identification on them there was no legal reason to arrest them. And if they themselves did not want to leave and collaborate with the police they stayed in the brothel because we are not permitted to do anything about it."