/ 9 June 2005

Plenty of ball play planned for World Cup

About 40 000 prostitutes will offer their services to football fans at the 2006 World Cup in Germany, according to experts.

Supporters from across the globe will flock to watch their respective teams in action at the World Cup, running from June 9 to July 9, offering a bigger market for prostitutes to exploit.

”It goes without saying that the World Cup is a great opportunity to make money,” said Katharina Cetin, an official at the Hydra prostitute advice centre in Berlin.

Cologne and Dortmund, two of the host cities for the World Cup, have even erected a number of wooden ”sex huts” for the football showpiece, with condoms and showers at hand.

The idea is to keep the prostitutes and their clients away from public places, and Berlin is considering following suit.

”It is better than having the couples in public areas,” explained Dirk Lamprecht, a member of the administrative council in Berlin.

Prostitution was legalised in Germany in 2001, but only in designated areas. — Sapa-AFP