World Cup goal: stem prostitution

Still, Ms. Clark says there was no conclusive evidence Germany's liberal approach to prostitution made it more attractive to human traffickers.

"What we can say for certain is that human trafficking exists everywhere," she says. "Where you have an illegal sex industry you have abuses of it. Where you have legalized prostitution, you also have abuses."

The message is similar to the one championed by Germany's women's Council. Their awareness campaign, "Final Whistle - Stop Forced Prostitution," hasthe support of Germany's soccer federation and plans information stands during World Cup festivities at each of the 12 cities hosting matches.

Other organizations have set up hotlines where men frequenting brothels can call up and report the institutions if they suspect women there were forced into prostitution.

A law in 2002 that secured the social and legal rights of prostitutes has made the business more transparent, giving police more oversight and opportunity to shut down the smuggling rings bringing women into the country.

"The fact that prostitution is allowed makes it easier for us to control," says Berlin police spokesman Uwe Koselnik, whose police department makes regular checks on brothels and street workers.

Brothel owners say the law has decreased the likelihood of trafficking victims among their ranks. Of the 30 women or so who come to Felicitas Schirow's "Café Pssst" in Berlin to work as prostitutes, all have German passports. Ms. Schirow thinks that estimates of an influx of 40,000 to 100,000 prostitutes for the World Cup are overblown, because there are enough legal sex workers to handle the demand.

"There are enough others who do it willingly," she says. "Why should clients go to those forced into it?"

Experts say that it could be difficult for customers to tell whether a prostitute is working willingly or not, however, though the cost of services and the type of advertising may give some clues.

"There are no quality standards (or labels) for brothels that guarantee a house is free of such victims of human slave trade," says Ms. Raiser.

"Women who are forced into prostitution usually don't work in the streets, but in private apartments or hotels, where they can closely be controlled by their pimps."

Clark, the OSCE antitrafficking head, says that with so many visitors and so many prostitutes, law enforcement will have difficulty controlling everyone.

"People need to understand that there are a lot of individuals there who don't want to be there," she says, "who were brought there against their will, who feel they are locked in [the profession] without options or choice."

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