RIGA — A new documentary commissioned by BBC is expected to lay bare Latvia’s seedy underbelly in which an illicit trade in women and sex is flourishing.
The documentary will explore the twin issues of sex trafficking and prostitution in connection with the rise in cheap airfares and so-called sex tourism. A team from BBC came to Riga and conducted interviews with victims of trafficking, Mayor Nils Ušakovs and humanitarian organizations representatives as part of their investigations.
Tourism remains one of the few money spinners for Latvia’s ailing economy. But ongoing negative publicity continues to pose a quandary for Riga municipality and tourism authorities desperate to attract more foreign visitors to the country. They’ve already had to deal with unwelcoming publicity about overcharging taxis and rip-off nightclubs.
Sullied reputation
There are concerns the documentary may tarnish Latvia’s international reputation and discourage foreigners from visiting. A French documentary on sex trafficking in Latvia made last year and later screened on Latvian television created an uproar over its negative portrayal of local women and sensationalized treatment of the subject.
Non-governmental organizations representatives told Baltic Reports they hoped the upcoming BBC documentary would present a more balanced and accurate overview of sex trafficking in Latvia. Latvia is among several Eastern European countries where vulnerable women have been targeted by shadowy trafficking networks. Both Latvia and Lithuania are known to be transit and destination countries for trafficked women.
Brits bring money but also trouble
With its high density of bars and clubs and easy flight connections, Riga has become a popular destination for British stag parties.
However, British tourists have increasingly become the subject of negative publicity over their drunken and loutish behavior.
A British national, who was last year jailed for urinating on Latvia’s revered Freedom Monument, attracted the ire of the then Latvian Interior Minister, Mareks Seglins, who described the culprits as “those English pigs.” British nationals Matthew Neale and David Birkinshaw, recently extradited to Latvia to face charges of assaulting police, were also interviewed by BBC. Both men are currently in custody awaiting trial. They have denied the charges.
It is not known when the as yet untitled documentary will be screened.
