Women in shelters often recruited into prostitution

Residents of shelters meant for women who are the victims of domestic violence and forced prostitution in Alkmaar and Heemskerk, are often encouraged to become prostitutes and to convince other women to do so. This was confirmed by the Blijf Groep, the umbrella organization for these shelters, the Volkskrant reports. Late last year there was talk that prostitutes were being recruited from the location in Alkmaar - the Oranje Huis. According to Blijf Groep, some residents moved to the location in Heemskerk, where this practice continued. After these allegations, the organization and the police conducted interviews with the residents an organized information sessions for them. A police spokesperson told the newspaper that since then there have been no further indications of ongoing prostitution practices. Some of the shelters' residents contradicted that to the Volkskrant. Tensions between some residents and the leadership in the Heemskerk women's shelter have been running high these past months. Three women left the shelter in a hurry two weeks ago because they did not feel safe. According to the residents, social workers and management set them against each other by threatening to take away their kids, among other things. The shelter itself firmly denied this to the newspaper. According to them, one of the women is turning the other women against the shelter.