A real-life case

"I was born and raised in Hungary. When I was approximately 6 years old, I moved with my parents and younger brother to the country side where I received the elementary and secondary education. My father is sick for many years and therefore unable to work."

"When I was eighteen, I went to work in the city. It was there that I met Joska. I met him in a bar. After that we went out more than once en we entered into an affaire together. Joska was married, but he said that he did not see his wife too often because of quarreling with each other.

Joska had everything I dreamed of at that time: an expensive car, many jewels and he had always money.

A girlfriend asked me once in Hungary, why I was seeing this man. Everybody knew that he was arranging for girls to go and work as a prostitute. I thought however, that if I would say  “no”, Joska would accept this.

After being for a while with Joska, he told me that he would go to Germany and to the Netherlands for a while. In the meantime I did not like not to have my own money and Joska told me that it would be possible for me to earn much money in a very short period of time, as a prostitute. By this way, I would be able to take care of my family  and live a luxurious life. Because I was told that I could keep all the money (I made). After giving it a thought for several days, I decided to join him. After that, Joska and I would be able to start a new life in Hungary.

Joska explained to me that I should start at an escort-agency, where I would earn 50 euro per hour. That would mean that, with one evening’s work, I would earn more money than in one month in Hungary. By this way I could pay my sick father’s treatment.

Joska told me furthermore that I would live for the time being together with other girls who were working as a prostitute. He himself was going to stay somewhere in the Netherlands, but we would continue to see each other.

At home, I told everybody that I was going to work as an “au pair”. This is what they still think. I promised to send them money on a monthly base, in order to cover my father’s hospital-expenses.   

Once in the Netherlands, the nightmare started for me. Joska dropped me at a house of a friend of his named Gabor and left immediately. Gabor was living in the Netherlands with a number of girls. After this I did not see Joska anymore.

The other girls introduced/announced  me at several escort-agencies and two days after my arrival I got my first client.

During the first week in that house I noticed that things went different than I was told. Gabor told me that I had to work seven days a week, because otherwise the escort-agencies would not want me. Even during my menstruation-period or when I was ill, I simply had to continue working.

I was not allowed to speak to people whom I did not know and a day off was out of the question. When an escort agency rang , I had to work.

Boyfriends were not allowed and nobody was allowed to know where I lived.

Also the financial story was not true. Each evening I had to hand over the money I earned. Gabor told me that this was for my own safety. I did not dare to tell him that I did not want that. He was shouting at me. From the amount of money earned by me, all expenses made were deducted. Gabor was doing the shopping out of it, the rent was paid, as well as condoms, lingerie and all other things that I needed. From the remaining amount, he kept half of it. Cheating was not possible since he was controlling all telephones continuously. Besides, Gabor was keeping up all our appointments on a big portfolio.

If we did not obey the rules, we were fined by Gabor. These fines could go up to 3000 euro, for instance because speaking to other men. I myself was also fined once for 2000 euro, because of not answering my phone when an escort-agency called me. I was taking a shower.

When having too few clients during the week, he shouted at me and told me that I was useless and that I ‘d better go back to Hungary. I did not do that. My father needed money and I wanted very much to study, to get my drivers-license and to build up a good life.

I did not reveal anything to the clients about my situation. I needed the money and I therefore I pretended that my life was good the way it was.

Finally I worked one year as a prostitute. During my first trip back to my family in Hungary, I decided not to return, I was very afraid of Gabor and I did not feel safe when walking on the street. Luckily another girl filed a complain against him recently. Gabor has been arrested.

I do not want to think of the money I could have earned. Should I have kept all earnings myself, then I would have had almost 100.000 euro by now. This is not the case. I have kept now only 15.000 euro. This money however is still in Gabor’s possession. Gabor did not work. All money he had, was earned by us.

I was not maltreated by Gabor. However, I had to have sex with him every now and then. I had the feeling that I could not refuse. Gabor destroyed me. I have no feelings anymore."

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