VZCZCXRO6183
PP RUEHAG RUEHDF RUEHLZ
DE RUEHRL #2754/01 2611501
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 181501Z SEP 06
FM AMEMBASSY BERLIN
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5313
INFO RUCNFRG/FRG COLLECTIVE PRIORITY

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BERLIN 002754 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR EUR/AGS, EUR/PGI, G/TIP, PRM, DRL/IL, INL/HSTC 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KCRM KWMN PHUM KJUS SMIG ELAB PREL GM
SUBJECT: GERMANY'S FAMILY MINISTER ON THE FIGHT AGAINST TIP 
 
REF: BERLIN 2534 AND PREVIOUS 
 
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED.  NOT FOR INTERNET DISTRIBUTION 
 
¶1.  (SBU) SUMMARY.  German Family Minister Ursula von der 
Leyen, meeting with the Ambassador, stressed Germany's 
commitment to fighting trafficking in persons.  She noted the 
study, underway in the Ministry at her direction, to 
establish a factual analysis of the effects of the 2002 law 
concerning the promotion of prostitution.  While the report 
will not be final until late 2006, she believes provisions 
passed under the Schroeder government have not had the 
desired effects.  She is particularly concerned that by 
dropping the provision in the civil code that prostitution is 
against public moral standards police have lost a basis to 
check developments inside brothels, including the possible 
presence of TIP victims.  The Minister would also like to 
focus more on clients.  Von der Leyen noted the work the 
German government, police, and NGOs had done in the run-up to 
and during the World Cup including answering concerns from 
the international public.  She agrees Germany should raise 
the profile of its anti-TIP efforts and sees potential for 
increased cooperation with the U.S. and others.  We should 
consider how to partner more actively with Germany in 
specific anti-TIP programs.  END SUMMARY. 
 
¶2.  (U) The Ambassador, accompanied by EMIN, met with Ursula 
von der Leyen (CDU), German Minister for Family, Senior 
Citizens, Women, and Youth, September 7 to encourage 
Germany's efforts in fighting trafficking in persons (TIP) 
and to follow-up on his initial formal discussion with the 
Minister on TIP in February.  Von der Leyen was joined by Eva 
Maria Welskop-Defaa, Director General for Gender Equality 
(who joined the Ministry in May after heading the office of 
economic and social issues in the Central Committee of German 
Catholics, and who remains closely linked to the German 
Catholic Women's Movement). 
 
Developing Her Facts to Revisit the 2002 Law 
-------------------------------------------- 
 
¶3.  (SBU) Saying she had misgivings about the effects of the 
law the Schroeder Government passed in 2002 that amended the 
civil code so that prostitution is no longer considered 
against public moral standards (NOTE:  legislation from 2005 
raised the penalties for TIP), von der Leyen instructed the 
Ministry to conduct an in-depth analysis of the legislation 
and its impact.  While the goal had been to improve the human 
dignity of prostitutes and help them move into other jobs, 
she is concerned it may also have made conditions too easy 
for brothel owners.  She thinks as well that it has made it 
harder for police to check brothels, including to identify 
possible trafficking victims.  Von der Leyen said the study's 
initial findings were inconclusive, so she has directed that 
further work be done.  She also said police are divided on 
whether the change in the law made their work easier or 
harder.  When the Ambassador raised the question of whether 
the police could use health concerns as a reason to check 
brothels, von der Leyen said the division of portfolios meant 
such a question was in the purview of the SPD-run Health 
Ministry, thus suggesting it would be inappropriate for her 
to explore that point. 
 
¶4.  (SBU) Once she has the report showing the facts of the 
current situation, von der Leyen plans to approach the Social 
Democratic partners in Merkel's coalition to discuss possible 
new legislation.  Von der Leyen is not looking to reverse all 
the changes the SPD made in 2002, but recalibrate the 
legislation so that it helps the women engaged as 
prostitutes.  She also wants to put more of the focus on the 
clients.  Von der Leyen plans to raise the results of the 
study and her interest in revisiting the 2002 amendments in a 
meeting with the CDU leadership as well.  She does not want 
to start a public discussion of the issue before the study is 
complete in order to keep the debate from becoming emotional 
and, by implication, less effective. 
 
¶5.  (SBU) Reacting to our questions on police actions and 
prosecution for TIP-related activities, Welskop-Defaa said 
cases require the cooperation of the TIP victims and it has 
been very difficult to get the evidence needed for court 
proceedings.  Without the necessary evidence, authorities 
have had to use lesser charges to get suspected traffickers. 
While the 2005 law made it easier to say someone was 
trafficked, the Ministry does not yet have statistics showing 
whether it has had this effect. 
 
The World Cup 
------------- 
 
 
BERLIN 00002754  002 OF 002 
 
 
¶6.  (SBU) Von der Leyen noted her predecessor had been 
involved in preparations for the World Cup and pointed to 
good cooperation with the Interior Ministry and with 
state-level police.  The Minister also pointed to work German 
authorities and NGOs had done in the run-up to the World Cup 
and during the events to raise public awareness of forced 
prostitution and to have a better system for dealing with it. 
 The Minister was surprised by some of the allegations that 
had appeared in the international press before the games 
regarding forced prostitution in Cologne and elsewhere on the 
margins World Cup events and at how persistent these 
allegations had proved.  The Ministry had received "an 
enormous amount of e-mails", for example, raising questions 
about TIP, but had also answered them receiving in return, 
Welskop-Defaa stated, numerous e-mails thanking the Ministry 
for the completeness of its answers.  She said authorities 
had not reported an increase in TIP crimes during the World 
Cup. 
 
A More Visible International Partner 
------------------------------------ 
 
¶7.  (SBU) Minister von der Leyen agreed with the Ambassador 
on the need for Germany to raise the profile -- domestically 
and internationally -- of its activities fighting TIP.  It is 
important Germany show leadership in the fight against TIP, 
the Ambassador stressed.  He also pointed out that senior 
figures in the U.S. Justice Department plan to come Germany 
in October to participate in an anti-TIP workshop, news that 
the Minister welcomed.  She concurred that it is important 
that we better publicize this cooperation. 
 
¶8.  (SBU) Responding further to the Ambassador's point, von 
der Leyen agreed Germany's EU Presidency and the accession of 
Bulgaria and Romania should offer possibilities for further 
action and cooperation.  Looking at countries outside the EU, 
she saw a potential for cooperation in educating people there 
to make them aware of the ruses traffickers use to attract 
potential victims. 
 
Comment 
------- 
 
¶9.  (SBU) The Family Minister's overarching point was that 
Germany is looking closely at the question of TIP and taking 
it seriously.  Given this interest, the resources and efforts 
Germany is already putting into the international fight 
against TIP, and Germany's upcoming presidencies of the G-8 
and the EU, this may be the time to look at how to partner 
with Germany more actively in specific anti-TIP programs. 
End Comment. 
TIMKEN JR