– No one should rent out such places anymore. Not only are those who live there harassed, what if one day someone is raped? Julia moved to Norway in August to complete a PhD. She found an apartment in the center of Bergen and was very satisfied with the beautiful and quiet residential area. But the joy was short-lived. The apartment she moved into was previously a Thai massage parlor that offered sexual services. The salon’s old customers assumed that the new resident also sold sex. In this case, the source is anonymised. Julia is not the person’s real name. Although not serious – At the beginning I could call friends’ homes and laugh about it, says Julia. Her friends laughed at her bad luck, that something like this could happen in one of the world’s safest countries. – But gradually it just got weirder and weirder. In the end, it simply felt unsafe, says Julia. A few weeks before, Julia had put up a sign. “Private property” was written on the door. The men at the door took neither the hint nor the clear message. Photo: Karoline Forberg – It started with a young couple. I thought they were looking for drugs, but then the girl said she wanted to sleep with me. Julia thought that the girl just needed a place to sleep. At the same time, the conversation felt strange. The couple asked to enter. But when Julia did not open the door, the girl tried to break in. – In the end I realized that it wasn’t drugs they wanted to buy, but sex. Three out of four sold sex On 7 December, it is one year since Brennpunkt released the episode “Massage salons”. The program should try to deny or confirm whether Thai massage is linked to prostitution and pimping. The work lasted over two years. The result was terrifying: Three out of four Thai massage parlors sold sex. In Bergen, news Brennpunkt received sex offers in 75% of the salons. Several massage studios from Bergen that were featured in the documentary have closed down or changed premises. Photo: ILLUSTRATION: TOM BOB PER ARONSEN / news One of the massage studios revealed by Brennpunkt was located where Julia later lived. Shortly after the program aired, the tenant was evicted by the landlord. Julia moved in in August. Fear of human trafficking – It was very shocking to me. I have lived in eight different countries and have never experienced anything like this. At least I didn’t think I would experience it here in Norway, says Julia upset. Bergen became a scary city. – I was so afraid that human trafficking was a problem here. For a long period of time I did not dare to leave any ID in the apartment, says Julia. Difficult to get an overview Head of investigations for human trafficking in the West police district, Bjarte Schrøen, can confirm that several massage parlors in Bergen still offer sexual services. – Our impression is that several of these salons are used to offer sexual services. But premises and roles change all the time, which makes it difficult to get any figures on what percentage of massage studios offer it. Investigation manager Bjarte Schrøen says that although several salons have closed down since the Brennpunkt documentary, new ones have also opened at the same time. Photo: Karoline Forberg / news From time to time, the police receive calls from people who have received an unwanted visit on the door from someone who wants to buy sex. – Do you see the “customers” who come to the wrong door as a threat to those who live there? – Based on the information we have and reported conditions or messages to the police, we have no reason to say that, says Schrøen. It is not a criminal offense to seek out Julia now wants to warn others against moving into places that have previously been associated with such operations. She was disappointed that the police could not help. – I spoke to the police, but they couldn’t do anything about the case because I didn’t have the identity of those who came to the door. But I didn’t dare film the men, says Julia. Police attorney Asbjørn Onarheim, who works in the fight against organized crime, says that it is basically not a criminal offense to seek someone out, unless the person in question behaves in a threatening manner. In that case, it is up to the offended party to document the incident with pictures or video. – To the extent that you feel threatened, pressured or find the situation unpleasant, and you take pictures and document this, it will not be prosecuted or considered illegal, says the police attorney. The massage studio was evicted by the landlord shortly after news’s documentary was broadcast. The premises are now a private rental property. Photo: Karoline Forberg So no end to the problem It finally ended up with Julia having to move. – The last person to come to the door was very aggressive, she says. The man knocked on the door and asked for a massage. When Julia did not open the door, he assured her that he is a “nice guy”. He looked in the large windows and wanted to come in. – Is that your room? I’m a nice guy, open the door! he shouted. Julia said there was no massage parlor there and asked him to leave. The man didn’t budge. – He insisted and only became more and more aggressive. – In the end I had to scream loudly that he should disappear and threatened to call the police a second time. Then he finally ran away. The tears reveal that the events still affect Julia. The apartment that previously housed the massage studio is centrally located in Bergen, in a very attractive area. Photo: Karoline Forberg / news Today she lives some distance away from the place where she had the disgusting experiences. She looks forward to connecting Bergen with something nice. But there is still a long way to go. – When I walk past the area, the memories come back and trigger something in me, says Julia.
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Got unwanted sex customers on the door every weekend – Julia feared being raped – news Vestland
