Antwerp prostitutes in digital databank
Antwerp has some 300 windows where women show up to attract customers. A pilot project involving a digital registration through the internet started about a year ago and became a success, with some 2,000 prostitutes signing in. The system will now kick off on a permanent basis.
"The system indicates which girl will be at work at which time(s) of day. Our people will carry out checks to see whether this information is correct", Sven Lommaert of the Antwerp police told our colleagues of the VRT's local radio station Radio 2 Antwerpen.
"We will also check whether the employees have not been the victim of people smuggling and that they are not minors, especially when new people are being registered." It also allows police to keep better track of girls working in the sex industry, and to take action if something gives rise to concern.
The system was developed in Antwerp, but other cities such as Ghent, Brussels and Amsterdam have shown their interest.