Sex Trafficking and the 2006 World Cup in Germany: Concerns, Actions and Implications for Future International Sporting Events

Authors

Anne Marie Tavella

Abstract

In the months preceding the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany, human rights advocates around the world feared the sporting event would cause an increase in women trafficked into Germany's sex trade. The international media widely reported unrealistic estimates of 40,000 potential trafficking victims. In the end, no marked increase in trafficking was documented in during the World Cup. This article looks at the media flurry before the event, the prevention efforts during the World Cup, and the reality of trafficking in . It also addresses the potential risks for trafficking at future sporting events, specifically the 2008 Olympic games in Beijing and the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. The international attention these events garner can shed valuable light on the plight of trafficking victims and help to increase awareness and prevention efforts.

Recommended Citation

Anne Marie Tavella, Sex Trafficking and the 2006 World Cup in Germany: Concerns, Actions and Implications for Future International Sporting Events, 6 Nw. J. Hum. Rts. 196 (2008).
https://scholarlycommons.law.northwestern.edu/njihr/vol6/iss1/8