Numerous French newspapers report about a large coordinated police action in four Rroma camps in the agglomeration of Grenoble. A total of 180 police officers stormed the four settlements with the aim to uncover a pimp network. Fourteen people were arrested and are now being interrogated. The police of Grenoble had collected evidence against the human traffickers and pimps for several months. Far from wanting to trivialize real human trafficking, the equation of prostitution with human trafficking must be called into question. Prostitution happens often out of poverty and is not always equal to the result of modern slavery. In particular, the idea of hierarchical Rroma clans, who force their wives into prostitution, has to be strongly questioned. In addition, the one-sided focus on criminal Rroma is racist per se (compare France Bleu 2014, 20 minutes 2014, France 3 2014, Le Parisien 2014).

• 20 minutes (2014) Grenoble: Démantèlement d’un réseau de prostitution dans des camps roms. In: 20 minutes France online vom 25.2.2014. http://www.20minutes.fr/societe/1308194-20140225-grenoble-demantelement-dun-reseau-prostitution-camps-roms
• France Bleu (2014) Coup de filet dans quatre camps de Roms de l’agglomération grenobloise pour démanteler un réseau de proxénétisme. In: France Bleu online vom 25.2.2014. http://www.francebleu.fr/infos/gendarmerie/coup-de-filet-dans-quatre-camps-de-roms-de-l-agglomeration-grenobloise-pour-demanteler-un-reseau-de-1310066
• France 3 (2014) Démantèlement d’un vaste réseau de prostitution dans des camps roms à Grenoble. In: France 3 online vom 25.2.2014. http://alpes.france3.fr/2014/02/25/demantelement-d-un-vaste-reseau-de-prostitution-dans-des-camps-roms-grenoble-421875.html
• Le Parisien (2014) Un réseau de proxénétisme démantelé à Grenoble. In: Le Parisien online vom 25.2.2014. http://www.leparisien.fr/grenoble-38000/un-reseau-de-proxenetisme-demantele-a-grenoble-25-02-2014-3623401.php

Keywords: Rroma, prostitution, human trafficking, pimping, France

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