Underage prostitution is booming in Bandung, the capital of West Java. Three different nongovernmental organizations have interviewed over 700 underage prostitutes and found that most are not in it just for the money. Most of them come from a broken family. Prostitution provides the girls with an escape from domestic problems at home and allows them to be independent.
There is a strong demand for escorts and prostitutes in Bandung, particularly from public officials and businessman. Several hotels in Bandung even keep a list of girls with their rates. Hadi, a spokesman for an NGO, says that sexual exploitation and trafficking have reached alarming levels in Bandung, and the government has done very little to stop this. Although laws and regulations have been passed, they aren’t being enforced. Hadi goes on to say, “We need to treat the girls as dignified human beings, without prejudice or arrogance that they are prostitutes.”
Pray for those who have become entrapped in sexual exploitation. Ask that the church in Bandung will step up and get involved in this cause.
Read the full story here.
Leave a Reply