made in a brothel in Tetovo (Macedonia)
on January 2. 2001 //
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Q: In how many brothels have you been?
Tanya: Here in Tetovo it's my first brothel, before I was in two others in Velesta. It's better here now, they treat us better. Our customers are all NATO, simple soldiers, but sometimes also officers and higher ranks. We are not busy here everyday. There are even days without customers. Some day there is no money, some day there is...
Q: How many of the custimers are NATO?
Tanya: 70 of 100 customers are NATO, only 30 are Macedonians or Albanians. So there is much more NATO...
Q: What do you know about the guys from the NATO?
Tanya: Most of the NATO soldiers here are Germans.
Q: Are there minors here?
Tanya: Here in Macedonia there are many girls who are minors - 14, 15, 16... There are many... They get stolen and brought to these houses as prostitutes.
Q: Do you know where these girls are from?
Tanya: Most of them come from Moldavia, Romania, Ukraine, Russia and Bulgaria...
Q: How did it happen to you?
Tanya: We met two men in a restaurant. They offered us to drive us home from the restaurant. They said we need not to worry. But we drove directly to Bukarest. In that moment I knew we are going to get sold. I saw that on TV and heard about it at home, that girls get sold. From Bukarest they drove us to Turnu Severin, then to Resita, Moravita and then illegally over the border to Serbia, to Belgrad. Then directly to Macedonia, to Velesta. That's how I came here... There are many girls here - also from Moldavia and Romania. They all told me how they got kidnapped and sold...
Q: Did you see here Anna and Viviana?
Tanya: Anna and Viviana did work here. Viviana was from Petrosani, Anna was from Moldavia. We've been together here. I know they are at home now...
Q: How was the crossing of the border?
Tanya: When I was in Moravita, they blindfolded me and took me through a forest and I remember a field. Then through water - through little brooks. We have been 6 or 7 girls. It was night, it tooks us from 11pm to 7am.
Q: Then you was in Serbia. How did it continue?
Tanya: We arrived in Belgrad. A car waited. We spent two days with a pimp. Men came to look at us. They where interested in buying. In another night we had to cross -blindfold again- the border to Macedonia. Here we came to Vesesta close to Struga. Then we came here to Tetovo...
Q: You heard similar stories from all the others...
Tanya: I met here many girls who came from Moldavia, who asked us "how did you get here?". Many of them wanted to Italy or Greece, all kidnapped to Macedonia. All had to go by night, illegally with boats. But I was surprised to hear, that in Turnu Severin the mafia pays the police.
Q: How is the situation with prostitution in your home country?
Tanya: In Moldavia there is not so much prostitution like in Macedonia. In Moldavia it's rather rare, also in Romania it's not so much - but Yugoslavia and Macedonia very very much...
Q: So Macedonia has probably most prostitutes now?
Tanya: In Macedonia the prostitution is booming now. In the brothels you find girls with age of 13, 14, 15 or 16 years, from Romania or from Moldavia...
Q: How many do you think are minors...?
Tanya: I believe 30% are minors below 18 years. Most of them stolen... I don't know an exact figure...
Q: Where are you from?
Tanya: I am from Moldavia, from Chisinau. I was at the university, studying mathematics and physics. I have a sister. I would like to get back next spring. In the autumn the terms continue...
Q: What about your parents then?
Tanya: My parents will ask me where I have been. They don't know yet... I couldn't call them since I am in Macedonia. But I would like to continue studying, I have quite a brain...
Q: Do you think the police could help you to get home?
Tanya: Each brothel knows the police. They know when they come for a razzia. Even when the police takes you out, they could sell you to another bar. You won't get home that way.
Q: When are the NATO soldiers here?
Tanya: Thy come once a week, when they have day off... But in the moment they are not coming. They can't get out of the military base. Maybe they are not allowed to since there was a lot of razzias here with the police. But they come nevertheless...
Q: You like to say something in conclusion?
Tanya: About all girls here in Yugoslavia or Macedonia can be said, that they didn't know where they are brought to, how much they would have to suffer. They suffer a lot, but even more suffer their parents and their children. There are many here who have children, who are gone from them, because they had no money. They have little children, which they haven't seen for 5, 6 or 7 months. Please help them...
Q: Do you believe you will come home next year, as you said?
Tanya: I have asked my boss, I very much implored him to let me go in March or April...
source: Inge Bell archive (Radiovision.info)