2023-08-20 04:00:00
Incessant comings and goings, screams in the middle of the night, the sound of rumbling engines… Jean’s daily life has radically changed since the arrival of a new neighbor. Very quickly, he realizes that the house next to his home does not only accommodate one inhabitant, but indeed a dozen inhabitants. This unusual situation has shaken up the daily life of this inhabitant of Jumet. Jean pressed our orange Alert us button because he thinks the house is not only used as a dormitory…
Jean has owned a house in Jumet for nearly ten years: “It’s not the quietest of neighborhoods, but it’s good to live there.“So it was in Rue Jean-Baptiste Ledoux in Jumet that he decided to start his family, and to settle down with his wife and two children:”When you buy your own house, you think it’s good, you’ve found our cocoon, you’re at peace.“But three years ago, a somewhat peculiar neighbor decided to move in opposite Jean’s house:”It was a big house, with several apartments. It had been empty for quite a while. And then one day, I started seeing more and more people lurking around. That’s what especially caught my attention..”
You’re not going to make me believe it’s a boarding school!
At nightfall, the rue de Jean gradually becomes the scene of enigmatic comings and goings: “I first started seeing girls settling down. They spoke Portuguese, they sounded like Brazilians. It was already quite unusual in my neighborhood. At the same time, every day I saw cars registered in Romania, Bulgaria, Germany, or even France, stopping in front of their homes. Obviously, they have acquaintances all over Europe!“, quips the Jumétois. For him, it’s obvious, it’s a brothel that has settled in his street: “My daily life now boils down to opening the window and seeing girls in thongs and half-naked in front of my house. It’s a brothel. I don’t see what else it might be. You’re not going to make me believe it’s a boarding school! The uniform would be a bit special… “.
Noise, alcohol, drugs…
In addition to being a place of prostitution, Jean also suspects drug trafficking: “It’s been three years that I attend these comings and goings. I can tell you that I had time to analyze everything well. There are those who come in to see girls, and those are very easy to recognize. Then there are those who come with cars that are worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. They are usually young men who do not stay more than 10 minutes.”
A sudden change, which causes a stir in the neighborhood: “We constantly hear the sound of horns, people talking loudly, and drinking on the public highway. It got very noisy overnight. Imagine a dozen girls in the same house, with their customers parading in front of your house. It makes an incessant hum of noise. Luckily my house is well insulated!”
What to do in this kind of situation?
Six months ago, Jean decided to alert the police: “At first, I still had the impression that they took the problem seriously. They installed a camera to monitor them. But in the end, it didn’t change anything because it’s still going on today. I still see people marching every day and there has been no intervention.”
Jean then decides to carry out his investigation on his side: “One day, I got it into my head to go out and ask directly what was going on with one of the men who were waiting in the street. He then told me that it was indeed a place of prostitution, which allowed prostitutes from the red light district (a dating proposal website that does not hide its purpose) to be able to welcome customers.”
For its part, the Charleroi police say they are following the case closely, but do not wish to communicate more at the risk of hindering the investigation.
For Isabelle Jaramilllo, general coordinator of the ASBL Espace P, the main thing remains above all to start a dialogue: “We must not demonize sex workers, and especially not put everyone in the same basket. The majority do their job, following strict regulations, and respecting the law. If something bothers the neighborhood, you have to talk regarding it directly with the main people concerned and the problem can very quickly be resolved between the two parties..”
Prostitution: what is the legal framework in Belgium?
Belgium has become the first country in Europe to decriminalize prostitution in 2022. Sex workers therefore have a status. This means that it is possible for them to have social rights such as a pension, health insurance, or even paid leave. Pimping, meanwhile, remains prohibited. Just like soliciting on the public highway. Regarding brothels, they are authorized, but they are subject to very strict regulations. Regular checks are carried out there. Tenants must also declare the identities of each of their boarders. These places must be located in places approved by the college of aldermen and their establishment is prohibited near schools, places of religion and public establishments.
But here, these criteria are obviously not respected: “We have two schools just down the street… This is unacceptable!“, gets angry Jean. Nevertheless, the building does not seem to be officially declared as a brothel: “It’s as if it were a big collocation with girls in little outfits, who come and go. There is no registration. From month to month, the girls change. They are never the same“says John.
According to Isabelle Jaramilllo, general coordinator of the ASBL Espace P, these rotations are frequent when the establishment welcomes sex workers in an irregular situation: “They are afraid because there are a lot of controls. They do not take the risk of staying too long in the same place, for fear of being arrested”, she explains. And for good reason, the prostitution of people in an illegal situation is prohibited. In the same way, as pimping, forced prostitution, and the prostitution of minors.
In Belgium, according to the latest figures, there are nearly 26,000 sex workers (95% women, 3% transsexuals and 2% men). According to a recent study by the National Bank and the KU Leuven, prostitution in Belgium generates an estimated turnover of 870 million euros.
Prostitution Jumet Charleroi
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