How is Child Prostitution in France Growing to Form a National Crisis?

On November 2021, child prostitution in France took on the headlines after the Secretary of State, Adrien Taquet, told in a press conference that at least 7,000 to 10,000 children were affected by this growing phenomenon.

The shocking numbers are only figurative, numerous cases are not being reported daily.

The rise of child prostitution in France grows on a steady basis, in five years, the number of victims has increased by 70%.

Independent associations, like ACPE (Act Against Child Prostitution association), estimate that real numbers of minors are still unknown but could reach 15,000 in 2021 alone.

 

 

Government Plan

In light of the alarming proliferation of forced labor of minors in "prostitution," on November 15, the French government presented an inter-ministerial plan to fight the scourge.

The plan is worth €14 million, and it will be deployed throughout 2021 and 2022.

According to Secretary of State for Child Protection of France, Adrien Taquet, the plan is based on several pillars, the most important of which is to raise awareness, strengthen legal action against operators and exploiters, and support minors who have been exploited in this crime, who, in accordance with the 2002 law, are mere victims.

Taquet emphasized in a statement that whilst most of the victims usually pertains to the 16-17 age cohort, “half of them—mostly girls, but also boys—enter[ed] prostitution at 14.”

This comes as a surprise, as research focusing on Euro-American countries have associated child prostitution with much older children.

 

Worldwide Phenomenon

According to Scelles Foundation, a France-based independent NGO working against child sexual exploitation, children throughout the world are victims of prostitution, sexual abuses, pedophilia, pedo- pornography, and sex tourism.

“Three million children are prostituted throughout the world, among whom thousands in France. To date, all countries are concerned by this phenomenon; no child is entirely protected and prostitution clients’ demand for younger children is ceaselessly increasing,” the organization said.

Even though child prostitution is an unacceptable breach of children’s rights, which is condemned by international law, it is more and more socially accepted.

“The pro-prostitution lobbies have been working since the last 90’s at making child prostitution trivial, presenting it, in particular, as an acceptable solution in the case of children faced with destitution.

“In France, where the problem is deeply rooted, 3 types of minors’ prostitution can be distinguished. They cover various realities which demand specific modes of intervention.

“Prostitution of French minors who were born on the territory and are networks victims; prostitution of French minors who were born on the territory and exercise occasional prostitution; and prostitution of foreign minors who are often human trafficking victims.”

 

Social Media Responsibility

The French victims were said to belong to all social backgrounds, but affected minors were found to have shared similar problems, often having been victims of or confronted with violence, particularly within the family.

"This phenomenon has seen a worrying rise since 2015, particularly affecting girls," said Jean-Marc Drogeh, director of the Central Office for the Suppression of Human Trafficking (OCRTEH).

One of the main reasons of the phenomena’s upscaling is the usage of social media being exploited to contact, recruit, and sell children for sex, according to a study by The University of Toledo Human Trafficking and Social Justice Institute.

The study, which was requested by the Ohio Attorney General's Human Trafficking Commission, reveals how traffickers quickly target and connect with vulnerable children on the internet through social media.

"It is vitally important to educate parents, professionals and youth—especially our middle school or teenage daughters who may be insecure—about the dangers of online predatory practices used by master manipulators," said Dr. Celia Williamson, professor of social work and director of the UT Human Trafficking and Social Justice Institute. "Through this outreach and education, we can help save children from becoming victims of modern-day slavery."

Williamson cites a 2018 report that says while 58% of victims eventually meet their traffickers face to face, 42% who initially met their trafficker online never met their trafficker in person and were still trafficked.