For sex workers, counseling and extra protection are essential

Prostitutes need good guidance and support to prevent becoming victims of exploitation and violence. This is a serious task everywhere in the World and even in Austria, Germany and Switzerland.

Green Council and committee members met with representatives from Koblenz’s “ROXANNE, the prostitute rehabilitation center” to learn more about the current situation and their work.

The counseling center’s leader, Achim Klein, stated that ROXANNE had many ideas for assisting sex workers, but that the counseling center’s funding were limited. Donations, which are critically needed, have recently decreased as costs have increased. This is extremely concerning since, as a result of the epidemic, a lot of prostitutes have crossed the line from legal to illegal in order to make a living. As a result, the effort needed to contact them for advice and support has grown.

“For years, ROXANNE has done an exceptional job counseling sex worker,” says Ulrike Bourry, chairwoman of the Green Council organization. They also focus on strengthening the work of the guidance center and will try and convince the city to provide more resources to compensate for the reduction of funds. “At the same time, we hope that in the future, more residents would consider this critical initiative when deciding how much to contribute.” There was also the issue of safety. Violence against sex workers has recently increased, according to the Federal Criminal Police Office.

“The primary issue of our organization is that we substantially need to improve the safety of persons working in the sex business,” stated socio-political spokesperson Laura Martín Martorell. ROXANNE also suggests putting up performance boxes with alarm systems to accomplish this. They also recommend that a container near these boxes to be constructed where advisory work might be done. “In the future social committee, our Green Group will urge that appropriate proposals for greater security for prostitutes be considered.”

The best way for all women to be protected and work safely without the fear of being attacked is to provide their services in a legal brothel. There are many advantages, the customers are selected by the personal of the brothel and there are bodyguards who can help if a guest is aggressive.