| ||||||||||||||||
Lena: I got sold by Bulgarians. They brought me to the macedonian border and sold to Grigorij.
Q: How did the traffickers get you to Tetovo?
Lena: We've been waiting on the street. On the street to Macedonia, where Grigorij picked us up. First I came to his hotel in Tetovo. We worked there. We've been the first girls who worked for him there. Then others came – from Romania, Bulgaria and Moldavia. I was together with a turkish girl from Plovdiv. Later more came. All sold. Grigorij bought them all: the one was 22, the other 18. I was 15 these days.
Q: Did he know that?
Lena: Yes. And we didn't have passports...
Q: Let's get back to the bulgarian-macedonian border. How did the trafficking continue?
Lena: Over Petritch we crossed the border during the night. Through the forest. In Macedonia they left us in Strumica. There a car came to pick us up. First it was Bulgarians, then the Macedonians took over. I can't remember it so well, but I think one of the guy's name was Atzo or something... He brought me to a woman. Then Grigorij came, checked us and took us with him.
Q: How much did he pay for you?
Lena: I got sold for 2000, but had to work off 4000. 70-to-30. 70% for him, 30% for me. But I never saw money. Then I got cought by the police.
Q: When did you get out?
Lena: In winter, well in October 2000... No it was February 1999, now I remember. I was over a year with Grigorij. They cought me in August 2000. Or was it February 2000, when I came there...? I don't remember that so well...
(...)
Q: You saw the films we showed you. Was it the brothel, you worked in?
Lena: Yes. And I saw my room too. Grigorij established Katarina as the boss. She took care of us. He came 1 or 2 times of the week to have a look.
Q: Tell us about the other girls...
Lena: Later many came. There was one who was 14. I don't remember her name. There was an Elena from Moldavia and a Tanya. They arrived with passports. During the razzia they got cought with me and also sent to bulgarian border. But there they didn't have the passports anymore. They drove with them the way back to get the papers. I don't know what happened then. Grigorij had the passports for sure. I did not have any papers. I was a minor. I didn't have anything. The one of the two was 14 or 15, the other was mature...
Q: Was there a Eugenia from Chisinau?
Lena: Yes, she was there with her sister. They got kidnapped. I couldn't talk with them much. And a week later I got already cought in this razzia. But they've been there... There was also a girl called Lia. She was also a minor. She was 16, from Bulgaria. From Blagoevgrad. I knew where she lived, so later when I was out of prostitution, I visited her...
Q: So the place was more a hotel or a brothel?
Lena: A brothel. The rooms have been there only for one reason – to have sex with men... Labour rooms...
Q: How did the rooms look like?
Lena: A big bed. A cupboard, a shower and a toilet.
Q: A you slept and worked there?
Lena: Yes. The windows where locked with grates, so we couldn't get off. It has happened few times that girls escaped...
Q: Could you go outside?
Lena: No. Only together with Grigorij or Katarina. Sometimes we could go to the mall with them.
Q: Why not alone?
Lena: We've been minors. Police could have cought us.
Q: So they knew 100% that you are minors?
Lena: Of course.
Q: Was there a dog?
Lena: I can't remember a dog there. I only know there was this high iron gate that only they could open. It was always locked with a chain.
Q: Could you have run away?
Lena: No, I was in the 2. floor. Only in the little kitchen was no grate in the window, but this room was locked.
Q: Have you earned money during all the time?
Lena: I made 7000 Leva. But as the police came, they took me without the money. Later I called Grigorij and he said "come to Macedonia and pick it up", but I did not want to do this.
Q: How did you know you had all the money? Or did you have it cash under the pillow?
Lena: No, it was all noticed on a paper. Katarina also had this kind of schedule...
Q: But you never saw cash?
Lena: No. Never. Just some tips. But I lost them too – they stood there with my cloths, photos and my adornment...
Q: So you have been locked away all the time...
Lena: Yes. I didn't feel so bad after a while. I got used to it. But once I had high fever - 40° Celsius... There was a german soldier in my room. I think he was from Munich. He gave me some tabs against fever and said to Grigorij that I am ill. Then Grigorij left me rest for 2 days.
Q: The soldier was from Munich (München)?
Lena: I guess...
Q: Could it be Münster?
Lena: I don't know...
Q: What did he look like?
Lena: Very big. Without hair or beard.
Q: Could you refuse clients?
Lena: No. We had no choise. If the client wanted to do it, we had to go with him...
Q: When did you work during the day?
Lena: Because of the soldiers we had to start very early. Around 7pm. The day was over around 4am. From 7pm to 10pm it was only with the Germans. Later the Albanians and Macedonians.
Q: Why from 7 to 10?
Lena: Because they had day off only for that time... They came with taxis which already waited in front of the military base. One taxi driver was called Niki - he brought them here. He got 10 DM for each client.
Q: Did they come every day?
Lena: Every day. Sometimes more, sometimes less... There have been days, when more of them came. Always mixing groups...
Q: How much...? More or less...
Lena: 15 or 20 Germans. Sometimes more. It depended...
Q: Stupid question - but how did you know they are Germans?
Lena: They have been talking german and the KFOR in Tetovo is mostly german. Sometimes there have been Russians, but very rarely.
Q: Have they've been regular clients?
Lena: Yes, but not only here. But this place was nicer, the girls have been nicer. And they also told us about other brothels. And some girls who have been in other places before told us about the other brothels too... Some of them told us, they have also been ordered into the military base to serve there. Grigorij also checked girls in other brothels, in "Dallas" for example. The barman there was called Milen. "Dallas" was kind of a bar in the center.
Q: You ever heard about Hotel "Macedonija"?
Lena: No.
Q: The "Cobra Bar"?
Lena: Yes, I heard that. But never was there.
Q: When the KFOR soldiers came, how did it go on...?
Lena: They invited us for a drink. We chatted a little. They asked us how old we are. I told them I am 19, because Grigorij told me they are not allowed to know how old you are. So I said 19.
(...)
Q: Did you have many clients?
Lena: Many yes... So many I can't remember them all.
(...)
Q: And they all had sex with you?
Lena: Yes...
Q: Before your 16. birthday?
Lena: Yes. Also on my 16. birthday. I couldn't celebrate, because I had to work.
Q: Did the soldiers tell you any stories from home?
Lena: The one from Munich told me about his girlfriend he was having for 6 years. Many told us they did not want to cheat their wifes. But I don't know why they slept with us then...
Q: Did they appear in uniforms sometimes?
Lena: Yes. Green uniforms, with dots. And caps with tucks. Sometimes I put them on. On the shoulders they had this badges showing their rank. Sometimes they had their names on the uniforms, but mostly they took these stickers off. They didn't want us to see their family names.
Q: Have they been allowed to go to brothels?
Lena: It was forbidden. They did it secretly. They stood until 10pm. Then most of them left again.
Q: Have there been any real officers?
Lena: Yes, but not in uniform. Once uniformed officers came and chased away the normal soldiers. None of them came again for a whole week. But others came instead.
Q: Was Grigorij satisfied?
Lena: Yes, he cashed the money in an other room, or Katarina did it...
Q: How much money?
Lena: 100 DM per hour. Or a whole night if it was an Albanian, because soldiers could take only one hour.
Q: How was it with the Germans?
Lena: It was better. The Albanians or Macedonians have been bad to us. They often came drugged or wanted odd sex. You couldn't refuse. They often wanted it french without condoms. But the Germans were more human. More good.
Q: Did the Germans know you were locked away?
Lena: No. They didn't ask those things and we have not been allowed to tell it to them. We've been scared they could peach against us. Well they could see the grates on the windows, but they believed we do not live there but somewhere else. But they have been impressed... (?)
Q: What did they think about you and the 14 years old girl...?
Lena: They did not know we are so young...
Q: Tell us about the razzia...
Lena: I had a friend who was bodyguard at the prime minister's office. I called him Diamond because he had this strange tooth made with a diamond. Maybe he called the police. Or another possibility is, that Grigorij wanted to get rid of me but did not want to pay me off as he said, so he arranged the razzia. I don't know. Everybody who didn't want to pay the cops have been taken away. I couldn't even take anything from my room with me. They took me, Elena, Tanja, Lia from Blagoevgrad and the one of the moldavian sisters. The 14years old girl Grigorij had already sold to Velesta. She was quite disobedient and didn't want to get pimped...
Q: How did it continue?
Lena: Then we've been one night in Tetovo, later they brought us to Strumica - I believe... Then to Petritsh in Bulgaria and then to Sofia. I was very scared of my father, but they sent me directly into the home of Podem.
Q: The german soldiers did not know you are minors and imprisoned. After the change of the contingent in Mai, have there been other soldiers?
Lena: Yes. Until August they always came...
Q: ...
Lena: I thought, at least I make some money to survive. I have no choises, I have to take care of myself. But I did not know, they will keep us locked away. I thought after a while they let us go... But this didn't happen... There was a girl which managed to get out. She left with a customer. He bought her.
Q: Was there minors in other brothels too?
Lena: I know that there've been minors in other brothels too. Grigorij bought some there and they told us that it was so terrible. "Big Star" was the name of the one club, I don't know in which city in Macedonia it was. The Albanians torture and beat the girls a lot. When an Albanian doesn't see blood, he's not very fit...
Q: How did you get things you needed?
Lena: I didn't have any money. When I needed something, a shampoo or whatever, then Grigorij cutted it from my money. His wife was a sales agent from "Oriflame" so we had to buy it from her. We said what we need and Grigorij organized it. We had no idea how the price was... (...)
As a cross reference you can read the
interview with Katarina who is the traditional "Mamasan" in this brothel.
source: Inge Bell archive (Radiovision.info)