SCANNING his passport, the man fills out the paperwork to finalize the details of his booking.
But this is not for rest; it’s for hourly sex with a woman.
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Welcome to Switzerland, where prostitution is legal and paying for sex has become as easy as ordering an UberCredit: Darren Fletcher
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Zurich-based entrepreneur Arik, 33, created the website Saferchoice — known as Choice — in the hope that its verification technology would protect sex workers Credit: Darren Fletcher
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Drive-in sex structures in Zurich — each large enough for one vehicle — to provide a safe and discreet environment for sex workers and clients outside residential areasCredit: Darren Fletcher
Welcome to liberal Switzerland, where prostitution is legal and paying for sex has become as easy as ordering an Uber.
Like street prostitution, websites now offer clients a range of sexual services, including all kinds of kinks and fetishes, at the click of a button.
The sex industry is thought to be worth £2.9 billion — more than the country’s domestic cheese production.
But while it sounds like a sex-positive utopia, for thousands of women in the trade across the country, the reality is much darker.
READ MORE ABOUT THE SEX INDUSTRY
Geneva, the second largest city, attracts more than two million people each year – many of them sex tourists.
Driving around one area, I saw scantily clad women posing in brothels, such as those in Amsterdam’s De Wallen red light district, and in the windows of laundromats and car washes.
Some braved the terrifyingly low temperatures of -4C on the street, closely watched by their pimps.
Sex workers must register with the local canton (state) and, although requirements vary, condoms are mandatory. But despite being legal, many find themselves in danger.
In 2014, a Swiss financier, named only as Robert S, murdered a Polish sex worker in a £560-a-night hotel room in Zurich before stuffing her body into his wine fridge. He was later sentenced to 17 years in prison.
‘Really nervous’
Zurich-based entrepreneur Arik, 33, created the booking website Saferchoice — also known as Choice — aimed at non-brothel sex workers, hoping the verification technology would make them safer.
He says: “Only one in every 523 cases of sexual violence or assault is reported in Switzerland.
“With an estimated 12 million sex transactions per year, we know some of them will be in the paid dating industry.”
The British are among the main clients of sex workers in Geneva.
At one brothel – where clients pay 100 Swiss francs (£92) for 20 minutes of sex – Romanian girl Andrea said: “British people are so polite, I’d like to see more of them.”
Another girl who works in the same area said: “British people like to talk more than anything. Before after . . . and even during.”
Catalina, the manager of the brothel, told me: “We have a lot of English people coming. They tend to be a little boozy, but still good.
“I can be a little shy when it comes to introducing girls and choosing one. They will often only look for the first or the most beautiful. I think they’re just really nervous.”
“All the girls in Geneva are legally registered. It provides them with police protection if something goes wrong and as a result the establishment welcomes a higher class of clientele.”
Brazilian Victoria (24), who has also worked in Germany, Spain and Amsterdam, said: “This is the best place I’ve worked because it feels safe. Women here are trusted to set their own boundaries. Nothing is asked of us that we don’t want.”
When asked why she does it, Victoria answers: “Because of the money. One day I will be a billionaire.” French escort Lydia, 22, agrees and admits she likes “older men” because they are usually “more experienced” and have “too much money just for them”.
Host Leyla said: “Even though my girls are making money, it’s certainly not easy money. They work a lot on appearance, invest emotional time in the client and the like. Not everyone can do it.”
In Zurich, which has 5,000 registered sex workers, the city council tried to solve problems related to street workers more than ten years ago.
Residents voted to build drive-in structures — each large enough for one vehicle — to provide a safe and discreet environment away from residential areas. The neon-lit wooden boxes, operated by the local government, have an alarm button that calls on-site guards in case of trouble and a waste bin for condoms.
The sites, which also provide sexual health and counseling services for workers, cost £628,000 a year to run.
Current price is £98 for full sex, £40 for “arm relief”.
But the area is covered in graffiti and has limited light, giving it a seedy atmosphere as men watch available women from their cars.
Despite the authorities declaring the “sex boxes” a success, they have failed to crack down on the growing illegal prostitution run by violent traffickers in other parts of the city.
Less than a mile away, hundreds of girls stand on street corners under the watchful eye of thug pimps. These women are slipped under the radar, often thanks to extreme violence, and drive down the prices of sex.
One, who did not want to be named, said: “I used to earn 10,000 to 13,500 a week but now I’m happy if it’s 8,500 a week. Illegal girls are driving down prices and putting themselves at risk.”
Threats of violence
Langstrasse was once the bustling heart of Zurich’s red-light district, but it was closed after residents complained.
Violent gangs took over the area, bringing women from Eastern Europe, South America and Africa against their will.
They arrive already in debt to their captors. One survivor of human trafficking, who managed to get out thanks to the HeartWings charity, told me: “I had to have sex with unknown men. Men felt they could do anything with me because they paid for it.”
Although pimping is illegal in Switzerland and carries a prison sentence of 18 years, convictions are rare. Between 2015 and 2021, officers secured only 71 convictions despite 630 reported cases of human trafficking.
Olivia Frei, from the Women’s Center in Zurich, which wants the country to adopt the Nordic model where sex buyers are criminalised, said: “These women have been brought here thousands of pounds in debt to pimps and have no way out because their families at home are being threatened violence. We know of one place in Zurich where four girls share a small room and each pay 200 Swiss francs (£184) each day for that room.
“If one girl has a client, the others have to leave.
“This means that they are exhausted, that they have no space for themselves, and that is why they struggle mentally. It makes it almost impossible to leave.”
But women’s charities fear the illegal trade would only facilitate the exploitation of female workers.
Now pioneers like Arik hope his website will protect legal sex workers by requiring clients to provide identification and a photo.
He told me: “Choice is the safest platform for booking companionship and intimacy.
“We know from our research that women are often left in precarious situations when the client is not behaving well in various ways.” Initial viewing of Choice sees the worker’s photo blurry, but registering and verifying a phone number removes some of the distortion.
To be able to see the entire profile, users must confirm their identity, with an official ID card and photo.
A QR code is sent to players 15 minutes before the meeting, so sex workers can verify that they are the right person. The code changes every 15 seconds to prevent customers from sending it to someone else.
Only when both parties confirm that the meeting went well, all securely stored information is deleted.
Arik said: “It’s important that everyone feels protected.
“The platform gives greater reach to everyone and makes it easier for service providers to turn down a client.”
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Madam Catalina from the brothel says: ‘Many Englishmen come to us. They are usually drunk but still good. They know how to embarrass themselves a bit when it comes to choosing a girl. Credit: Darren Fletcher
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Driving around Geneva, The Sun saw women in brothels, such as those in Amsterdam’s De Wallen red-light district, and even in the windows of laundromats and car washesCredit: Darren Fletcher
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A hostess stands at the entrance to a nightclub located off the famous Langstrasse street in ZurichCredit: Reuters
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Source: HIS Education