Brazil fights sex tourism, child prostitution ahead of FIFA World Cup

Natal As night falls Adriana de Morais patrols the clubs and bars of Natal one of Brazils World Cup host cities looking for underage prostitutes and trying to get them off the streetsAs she and her team weave between revellers in this tropical city known for its nightlife their black polo shirts emblazoned with the emblem of the local child protection unit stand out amid the tight miniskirts and colorful clothing of the crowdsFIFA World Cup protesters in Brazil Pic AFPAn estimated 600000 foreigners are about to descend on Brazil for the World Cup which opens June 12 and the authorities worry the influx will bring an increase in sex tourism and child prostitutionIts a singular event that brings many people from outside and we really worry about sexual tourism Morais told AFPNo official statistics on underage prostitutes exist in Brazil The only figure available comes from the governments anonymous childabuse hotline which received 124000 calls in 2013 26 percent of them for sexual violence against childrenMost of the calls came from the northeast a poor region where turquoise waters and idyllic beaches are a major tourist drawA year ago Taina was one of the girls walking the street here Her story echoes that of thousands of Brazilian childrenAbused at home she ran away at the age of 10 To survive she sold sex in exchange for meals or moneyWe would go to Ponta Negra a tourist neighborhood in Natal My friends and I wed wait for cars to stop and call us and wed go with them A lot of times it was foreigners There werent many Brazilians she saysToday at 18 years old she is trying to build a new life She is studying hotel management thanks to a program called Vira Vida Change Your Life that helps child sex workersCode of conductLeftist President Dilma Rousseffs government has launched a campaign over the past few years against domestic violence the sexual exploitation of minors and human trafficking recently the main theme of a popular TV soap opera Salve JorgeThe country has a code of conduct for taxi drivers and hotel receptionists a bid to crack down on child prostitution in the places where it is most visible Officials are also plastering public spaces with awarenessraising messagesEvery tourist who arrives in Brazil will know that the exploitation of children and juveniles is a crime Hell see it in airplanes airports bus and train stations and hotels said the head of child protection at the tourism ministry Adelino NetoA major event increases the risk factors for minors We have an increase in tourists and alcohol consumption at a time when children are on vacation from school said Tatiana Akabane from the organization Childhood which is working to help Brazil learn from the experiences of the previous two World Cup hosts South Africa and Germany Fighting sex tourism Prostitution is legal in Brazil for over18s but the government is also keen to discourage sex tourismIt has sought to control the national image and combat sexual overtones in foreign products and advertisementsIn February it managed to force Germanys Adidas to recall a line of Tshirts with a football and a woman in a bikini that said Looking to score Brazil and another that said I love Brazil with a heart drawn to look like a thongclad womans inverted behindBrazil is happy to welcome tourists who arrive for the World Cup but also ready to combat sexual tourism President Rousseff wrote on TwitterBut sex workers say they have a right to profit from the tournamentIf there are going to be tourists and everyones going to make money hotels airlines businesses why shouldnt prostitutes earn money from it too asks Roberto Chateaubriand of Davida an organization that fights for sex workers rightsWe also oppose the exploitation of minors but the government has put everything in the same basket the sexual exploitation of minors human trafficking and adult prostitution he told AFP