Evangelical activists denounce death of a woman in a brothel

The heavy rains that took place in the south of the Iberian Peninsula at the begining of December left six deadly victims. One of them is Ionela Olguta Pantelimon, a 23-year-old Romanian woman.

She was in the basement of the "California" night club in Estepona (Malaga, Spain) on December 4. She could not get out and drowned.

The Spanish Evangelical Anti-Trafficking Network, coordinated by Diaconía Spain, released a statement requesting an investigatigation, The organisation asked for a social reflection on the circumstances that have led Ionela to her tragic death. The network suggests how suspicious it is that the young woman could not escape the place where she was trapped in.

“45,000 WOMEN AND GIRLS ARE EXPLOITED IN SPAIN”

"Without prejudice that the justice may determine civil and / or criminal responsibilities, we believe that this incident is another tragic example the exploitation, slavery and helplessness that more than 45,000 women and girls experience in Spain. They are sexually exploited in a business that moves 5 million euros a day in our country", they denounce.

The network reminds everyone that, in the vast majority of cases, prostitution is a "forced" practice, which stays with impunity because of the complicity of many. Among them among others, the mass media that use the term “sex workers” when they talk about prostitution, reinforcing the clichés that legitimize exploiters, raising the level of social tolerance towards this scourge; and relieving the hypocritical consciences of the consumers and of those who benefit from the lucrative business of the trafficking.”

“JUSTICE, NO MATTER THE COST”

"We demand ... a thorough investigation of Ionela's case from the competent police and judicial authorities, so that this new crime against prostituted women (not prostitutes) will not go unpunished, and the criminal and civil responsibilities will be determined, both inside and outside Spain, no matter the cost”, they point out.

"ZERO TOLERANCE"

The Evangelical Anti-Trafficking Network emphasises "the need to adopt, not only a strong policy and legislation, but also a culture of zero tolerance against trafficking and the sexual exploitation of women.”

They hope that the case of Ionela will “serve as a turning point to definitively change our view as a society to this infamous criminal business that is the trafficking of women: the slavery of the twenty-first century."

Spain is the first country of Europe with the largest demand for paid sex (since 2008) and the thrid in the world. Studies show that 39% of Spanish men consume prostitution, an the figures have increased very much among young people.