Authorities in the Baden district have finished investigating a brothel where two underage girls were found working in 2023. The Cantonal Public Prosecutor’s Office has charged several people, including clients and brothel workers.
How the investigation started
In March 2023, reports from the public alerted authorities that a teenage girl from Hungary was working in a brothel in the Baden district. Police quickly stepped in, rescued the girl, and placed her in a safe environment. Several people were arrested, and the Cantonal Public Prosecutor’s Office launched criminal proceedings for human trafficking and promoting prostitution.
Investigators found that the teenager had been tricked and manipulated in Hungary using the Loverboy method. In this method, traffickers gain victims’ trust by pretending to be in love with them and promising a better life.
Once the victim is emotionally dependent, they are forced into prostitution. The trafficker later gave the 16-year-old girl to a brothel operator in Switzerland.
Between January and March 2023, the girl was forced to serve about 70 clients in the brothel. Another underage victim was also forced to work there for three days, during which she had to serve eight clients. The main suspect, who knew the victim was underage, is accused of offering her services to clients despite her age.
Clients punished for paying underage girls
Authorities identified several men who paid for sex with the underage girls. Five men were given fines and penalties. They also had to pay compensation to the victim and cover legal costs.
A 44-year-old Swiss man, who knew the girl was underage and still requested her services, now faces criminal charges. He is also suspected of possessing illegal pornography. Prosecutors are asking for an eight-month suspended prison sentence and possibly banning him from certain jobs.
The Cantonal Public Prosecutor’s Office is working with law enforcement in other countries to track down the trafficker who handed over the victim. Investigations are now underway abroad.
Two Hungarian receptionists, ages 36 and 45, who helped run the brothel, were convicted in a fast-track trial for promoting prostitution. The Baden District Court sentenced them to 14 and 16 months of suspended prison time and ordered them deported for five years. These sentences cannot be appealed.
The 60-year-old main suspect, also from Hungary, is charged with serious human trafficking and forcing minors into prostitution. Prosecutors are asking for a four-year prison sentence and a ten-year deportation order. The suspect is still in custody.