The Natashas: Inside the New Global Sex Trade

by Victor Malarek

On the black market, they're the third most profitable commodity, after illegal weapons and drugs-the only difference being that these goods are human, though to their handlers they are wholly expendable. They are women and girls, some as young as 12, from all over the Eastern bloc, where sinister networks of organized crime have become entrenched in the aftermath of the collapse of Communist regimes. In Israel, they're called Natashas, whether they're actually from Russia, Bosnia, the Czech Republic, or Ukraine, no matter what their real names may be. They're lured into vans and onto airplanes with promises of jobs as waitresses, models, nannies, dishwashers, maids, and dancers. But when they arrive at their destinations, they are stripped of their identification, and their nightmare begins. They are sold into prostitution and kept enslaved; those who resist are beaten, raped, and sometimes killed as examples. They often have nowhere to turn; in many cases, the men who should be rescuing them-from immigration officials to police officers and international peacekeepers-are among their aggressors.

Genres: Nonfiction, True Crime, Feminism, Sociology, Crime, Social Justice, History

320 pages, Paperback

First published September 25, 2011

About the author

Victor Gregory Malarek is a Canadian journalist and author. Currently, he is a senior reporter for CTV Television's W-FIVE.

Reviews

[Antigone · Rating 2 out of 5]

There is an inclination with books like this to rate on the subject matter. Were I to follow that urge, I'd be five-starring this.

Human trafficking is a horrific reality that could benefit from far more attention than it is receiving. The latest surge in the peddling of flesh comes as a result of the break-up of the Soviet Union. Women from several of the former states (chiefly Moldova, Romania, Bulgaria and Ukraine) are flooding the market - most of them victims of cleverly-crafted advertisements for employment as maids, nannies, models and the like in foreign lands. Some are coerced by acquaintances or actual family members into taking a trip which results in a hand-off for cash. A few are kidnapped outright from buses, cars, or the side of the road as they're innocently walking home. Organized crime is a growth industry in the former Soviet republics, and it doesn't require a college degree for most of these thugs to recognize women, as a commodity, are free for the taking and lucrative in use. There is no moral compunction present on the part of the provider or the client. The johns who patronize the trade prefer to view themselves as charitably assisting the downtrodden - turning a convenient blind eye to the truth of their sex partner's inescapable captivity; a captivity through which she's been forcibly reduced to prostituting herself under threat of death, torture, starvation and abuse.

This said, I think there must be a better book on the subject than the one I just read. A 5-star horror deserves 5-star treatment, which certainly didn't happen here. And this is a surprise considering Victor Malarek is a noted journalist and broadcaster. My sense, if I'm to be kind about it, is that Malarek's outrage got the best of him and this shallowed things up a bit. You can only bring so much gravitas to the table when you're sputtering, and his stridency did his writing no favor at all. In addition, his arguments are not fully developed. I got the feeling, frequently, that he was short-handing the issue in his rush to thrust home his points. And you have to build these things - fact by fact, brick by brick. It's a painstaking endeavor requiring the kind of tolerance a blistering rage simply won't supply.

And so, while I absolutely recommend learning more about the issue of human trafficking in the world today, I suggest you make a better choice than I did on the road of that investigation.

[Jonathan · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a hardcore libertarian, I used to support the notion of legalized prostitution. However, this book made me change my mind. If the only people who did this kind of work did so by choice or through a desire to provide a service, then why bother? After all, it's not up to me to tell anyone how they should earn a living. However, this book reveals the chilling reality: prostitution is largely run by organized crime and the women who participate in it are usually nothing more than slaves. Some of the stories will break your heart or flat out disgust you. In fact, it's extremely depressing. These kind of books are extremely important, though.

Prostitution is not the victimless crime libertarians try to make it out to be.

[Carmen von Rohr · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really disliked Malarek's writing, but the book is full of urgently important and highly damning information nonetheless. It will leave you depressed, furious, and in no doubt about three things: Men who buy women and girls for sex (including vast numbers of Western military, UN, and policemen) are a scourge upon human society, the U.S. government is shamefully cynical, and prostitution apologists (including women) are racist assholes.

[Brittany McCann · Rating 3 out of 5]

While this book is good to read once, it's definitely not something you will want to re-read anytime soon.

I have been following and studying human trafficking a lot over the years, and there is a disproportionately high rate of it in my vicinity. I have always been on the lookout for signs of this and have reported a couple that seemed like they didn't add up in a big way. This book will make you see even more signs around you.

This book was a good comprehension of many issues, but it was not well-edited, which took my rating down. A bit of editing could have improved the flow and avoided repetition in facts.

Either way, this is a hard book to read if you can emotionally connect with any victim, especially the way the author tells their stories in a significant way. This is a highly under-reported and under-convicted crime that plagues our world, and it is always getting brushed under the rug.

3.5 stars for me

[Krista Bunny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. I can't express it any deeper. It's not a "That book was so awesome!" kind of wow, even though it did knock my socks off. It's more like a "Wow, I think I just threw up in my mouth and then swallowed it back down because the truth this book just hit me with is so disgusting and terrifying".
I first heard Victor Malarek talk when he was promoting his newest book "The Johns" which I intend to read as well. Here was this man I'd never heard of before standing up in front of Catholic Social Services, including the Grey Nuns talking about how Men are the cause of sexual slavery. The man has balls, I will give him that. This book proves just how big they are too.
Incredibly well written, to the point and spot on, Malarek makes you think, makes you cry, vomit, hate, hope and pray. Pray for the Natashas of the World, someone has to.

[Ginny Hanson · Rating 5 out of 5]

saddest part about this book is that in the 9 years since it was printed, human trafficking has now surpassed weapon & drugs as the single most profitable trafficked trade.

[Elin Eriksson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This should be required reading for all libertarian assholes.

[Devina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Miris, ngeri, marah.. Itu yang aku rasakan waktu baca buku ini. Sekarang diseluruh dunia banyak wanita diperdagangkan, dijual belikan untuk dijadikan wanita malam. Mereka diculik dari keluarga mereka, atau dijanjikan pekerjaan dg iming2 gaji besar diluar negri.. Namun mereka semua berakhir sama, menjadi wanita malam..

Pada awalnya wanita tsb tertarik dg pekerjaan yang diiklankan di koran, yang menawarkan pekerjaan di luar negri spt Jepang, Amerika, Inggris, dengan iming2 gaji besar, pekerjaan santai, libur diakhir pekan, dsb.. Sesampainya di negara tujuan, mereka malah dikumpulkan disatu hotel atau apartemen, dan dimulailah perdagangan manusia disini. Mereka disuruh melepaskan seluruh pakaian mereka, (bener2 naked) lalu mulailah para Mucikari memilih2 wanita-wanita tsb. Serem, seperti pedagang memilih hewan ternak, dilihat-lihat, dipegang, bahkan sampe bisa dicoba.. Astaga.. Alangkah rendahnya wanita dimata mereka.. Setelah sampai ditangan mucikari pun hidup mereka nggak lebih baik. Wanita-wanita tsb diperlakukan spt binatang, dikurung dalam kamar yang kotor dan bau atau gudang bawah tanah yang lembab, tidak diberi makanan yang layak, di paksa melayani 15-20 lelaki hidung belang tiap malamnya..

Sulit untuk membrantas bisnis haram ini. Misal saja Polisi/Relawan sudah berhasil menggrebek sebuah bar, dan bisa membebaskan 20 wanita, tidak sampai beberapa hari Bar itu sudah bisa beroperasi lagi. Sang Mucikari tinggal menghubungi nomor tertentu, dan mengeluarkan sedikit uang untuk membeli gadis-gadis baru, yang tidak sampai 1minggu Gadis-Gadis tsb sudah bisa mengembalikan modal yang dikeluarkan oleh si Mucikari untuk membeli mereka. Dengan modal $2.500 seorang Mucikari bs meraup untung mulai dari $75.000 sd $250.000 per tahunnya dari Gadis tsb.. Jumlah yang fantastis namun tak sebanding dengan penderitaan yang Gadis2 tsb alami. Bisnis prostitusi ini mrpkn bisnis yang paling menghasilkan saat ini di dunia..

Jika kita bertanya-tanya, dimana polisi? Pemerintah? Atau aktivis HAM? Biarpun bukti-bukti sudah ada di depan mata, tak ada satupun dari mereka yang mencoba untuk bertindak.. Kalaupun ada itupun sangat minim jumlahnya.. Mengejutkan.. Bahkan ada sarang Prostitusi yang terletak didepan kantor polisi. Tapi kenapa nggak ada yang bertindak? Kenapa nggak dibubarkan? Sulit untuk memutuskan rantai tsb jika kita sendiri tidak pernah berusaha untuk merubahnya.. Mulailah pada diri sendiri, keluarga, dan lingkungan sekitar kita..

[Melanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an amazing yet terrifying book: Victor Malarek offers an overview of the third biggest illegal world industry - human trafficking. He interviews the women - the "Natashas" (Natasha being what the johns call any slavic woman they buy) - who are raped every day after having been sold into sexual slavery.

The majority of the women interviewed are from the Eastern European countries after the fall of the Soviet bloc, and as we get insight into their lives, one cannot help but be shocked by the magnitude of the industry.

The fact that a large majority of peace-keeping organizations or soldiers not only closes their eyes to the growth of such a plague, but actually participates in the propagation, is appalling..

I finished this book slightly ill at the thought of all those young women my age who are being raped every day, but commending the bravery of Malarek, who actually had the... um, let's say "courage" to break open the code of silence that seems to surround the subject.

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wherein we come to terms with the fact that there may be no hope for humanity.

[Kryssy Claremont · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so intense I had to take a break from reading it for a day. I felt so many emotions disgusted, hurt, anger, helpless.
I hope changes implemented have actually made a difference in sex trafficking since this book was written. I hope harsher punishments have been put in place.
The author gives great first hand experiences and is knowledgeable on the topic. A good read for people who think sex trafficking isn't a big problem or that it doesn't happen everywhere.

[Andrew Lafleche · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beware: If you read this book, it will consume your life. There is nothing more appalling in the world today than ignoring this issue.

[Fhily · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is 2nd book I've read about sex life-style after Jakarta Undercover ...
But it's so different...
In this book, the author tells us about women in world trade...
woman like a doll, that sold and bought freely.

initially, I was confused. Why the book titled NATASHA? It's similar to my name, Anastasya... LOL XD
But, after I've read this book, I know that...
Natasha is a name all women in world trade.

quotations of two initial chapters in Indonesian, I've write:

"Kehidupanku bukan milikku lagi" - Lida, seorang anak yatim piatu dari Romania.

"Aku tahu aku tak akan kuat menanggung apa yang akan terjadi bila aku melawan" - Sophia, yang 'dilatih' setelah tiga hari disekap.

they sounds like in hell...

"Kamu bisa membeli satu perempuan seharga $ 10.000 dan uangmu akan kembali dalam seminggu kalau dia muda dan cantik. sesudahnya tinggal meraup untung"

What the hell? It sounds so cruel... I wanna kill the people who says like that!!! Go to hell!!!

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little dated now, but worth your time; for nonfiction it’s a very easy read. I spent a lot of time thinking about how sex trafficking can flourish and who patronizes establishments with trafficked women and children as a result of reading. What I learned is that even brothels and clubs with willing employees likely deal in a certain amount of women forced into sexual slavery as well. I was and still am confused about how the men who pay for the services of these women square the morality of it in their minds, though this book does address this question somewhat — I don’t know men like this, so I’m curious about how they were raised to believe forced sex is ok. According to this book, a large part of the reason why this industry succeeds and grows is because of the demand from men in western countries who are in the military, working as peacekeepers abroad, or who are sexual tourists. Reading about the examples of corruption among government leaders and those who are supposed to protect and serve, coupled with the attitudes towards women was really disheartening. More people should be outraged by this.

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Have to wonder why Malarek doesn't offer as much insight into Canada as he does the other countries, but still a powerful read. Should be read with Sex Trafficking: Inside the Business of Modern Slavery, which offers hard detail. Malarek's is less econmically based but does present much infromation and detail. Malarek also focuses on one group as well as lesser known trafficking areas.

I also liked the section about Kosovo, espcially since I had recently seen the Whistleblower.

[Imas · Rating 2 out of 5]

Tepat setahun dari awal mulai membaca buku ini...ngga sanggup bacanya langsung. Bikin mual dan tak tega membayangkannya. Penderitaan perempuan-perempuan diberbagai negara yang berasal dari pecahan Uni Sovyet. Bukan hanya negara yang ambruk, nasib perempuan-perempuan disana ikut terpuruk. Kelemahan ekonomi memaksa perempuan-perempuan itu bekerja dengan harapan dapat membantu keluarga, karena memang perempuan yang banyak dicari. Bukan karena lapangan pekerjaan yang cocok dengan perempuan, tapi karena perempuan itu sendiri adalah komoditas yang diperjual belikan sama seperti hewan ternak di pasar jagal.

Tertekan aku membaca buku ini..:(

[Jay Rain · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rating - 7.2

Opened up a whole new world on how the underside of society preys on the innocents; Have an entirely, new view on legalizing prostitution and the profession in general

Book becomes a bit redundant as it does not offer anything particularly new in the latter chapters; The reader still feels emotionally attached but that they could have stopped reading

[Amy Wathen · Rating 3 out of 5]

The information is tragic and so upsetting. The facts were good but a little repetitive. Overall I finished the book feeling little hope for the situation. 😩

[Peter Goggins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Certainly kept me up at night, thinking about this. A lot of it was unsurprising, the gangsterism in the post Soviet era that led to the kidnapping, export, and enslavement of tens of thousands of women.

What was surprising was that the author pulled no punches - Israel is one of the worst offenders in regard to importing sex slaves, and police involvement in owning slaves and protecting pimps. Most authors would have glossed over that fact. Same deal with the author’s willingness to specifically call out UN peacekeepers and their willingness to protect the pimps in areas they police.

[Erik · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an unsettling but necessary read to understand the horrors of sex trafficking. While published in 2004, it does not seem that this practice has ebbed. Furthermore, considering Trump is an asset of the Russian mob, this serves as a potent background for what Trump and many others in the GOP are enabling if not taking part in.

[Emily Loomis Cole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow.
This was horrifying and fascinating. It was well written and engaging, totally making me rethink anything I thought I knew about prostitution, especially foreign prostitutes.

The end did get a little bogged down in politics (spoiler alert: no one cares, not even America), but other than that I devoured the book.

Highly recommend everyone read.

[Erik Graff · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my first book about prostitution, so I don't have much to compare it to. The author, however, doesn't expect much from the reader and the book is written like a long article from a magazine like The New Yorker.

Malarek is a Ukranian-Canadian and his focus here is on that chapter in the history of prostitution following the breakup of the Warsaw Pact, in other words, on Eastern European women and girls desperate for work. Reference is made to previous periods, such as the prior dominance of Asian women in the trade, but the focus is on the nineties.

The style of reporting is matter-of-fact rather than sensationalistic or purient. Not all women who sign up for jobs overseas end up as sex slaves to rich Arabs--or NATO troops or Hassidic Jews etc.--though that does happen. Not all women are lied to. Some know precisely what they will be expected to do. However, a large percentage of women do get into situations far worse than they imagined when they ostensibly "borrow" the money for transportation, legal or illegal, to foreign work locations. Although few are literally enslaved, their oft-times illegal status, their dependence upon their employers and their indebtedness to them results in many of them finding it difficult to impossible to escape their circumstances. This dilemma is exacerbated by the fact that many legal systems, including our own, take an adversarial stance towards these women.

Malarek's book appears to cover the range of possible experiences and ends with some practical suggestions as to how to protect the victims of such practices and to abolish such exploitative businesses.

[Josh Muhlenkamp · Rating 2 out of 5]

Malarek does an exceptional job of demonstrating that there is a massive problem of trafficking in Eastern European women for the sex trade. He also demonstrates how this problem is not just something that is seen in "backward" countries, but is all too common in advanced nations, as well.

While he excels as a diagnostician, he fails utterly in prescribing a cure. He spends multiple chapters complaining about the failure of many nations to adequately prosecute and punish traffickers; then says that a country that did so waited too long to do it, causing the women to be raped unnecessarily. Perhaps, but law enforcement has to gather sufficient evidence to prevail at trial before going forward, and that takes time.

Throughout the latter half of this book, Malarek consistently seems to have no perspective on a larger picture. What happens to these women is truly horrible, but it is not the only evil in the world, and even well-meaning nations are required to have priorities in addressing those evils.

[Kaitlyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book I started reading it after I had seen a presentation by a community group who works closely with Victor Malarek when it comes to the global sex trade. The book was so hard to get through and so depressing. I think though it is important to read these kinds of texts because it allow readers access the information and experiences that they may not have always known to have existed.

[Steven · Rating 2 out of 5]

Excellent in terms of describing the new global sex trade, but devolves into polemic and that undermines the authority of the reporting at times. At its best the stories are harrowing and heartbreaking stories. If you saw the movie "Taken" you have a glimpse of what this book details.

[Deanna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not just one story, it made me feel that there is too much to think about and is a bit intimidating at how far reaching the sex trade is. Having said that though I would recommend it as a good overview of what human trafficking is all about and how it effects those around us.

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book will pretty much piss you off and disgust you as you wonder how many men you know have paid for sex. For a more thorough review, read the one I wrote of Malarek's "The Johns," which focused on the buyers of this awful "commodity."

[Jessica Podruchny · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eye opening. I just wish it was more current. Everything referenced for research was 2004 and earlier.

[Dogeared Wanderer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a terrible book but I couldn't put it down. In many countries around the world (including USA), sex trafficking and enslavement of women from Eastern Europe and Russia has grown into a horrifying reality. Slavery is not a thing of the past.

The author is a Canadian journalist who writes to expose the terrible ongoing problem of sex slavery from these countries. He covers many facets of the issue including how it happens, where it happens, why it continues to happen, and how world powers enable it (including UN peacekeeping presence and US military bases).

I appreciated the author's thoroughness in research and firsthand accounts of his travels to many of these places. For example, he was part of an undercover rescue operation that fell through due to corrupt cops and corrupt politics, even American. Another time, he drove the infamous E-55 highway and interviewed a prostitute who had been kidnapped and now couldn't escape.

It was such a heartbreaking book. Many times women who have the courage to fight against their captors are used as examples for the other girls and murdered in front of them to instill terror. Other women finally get the courage to testify when they are rescued and are either murdered by the gang connections (there's no witness protection for prostitutes in many countries) or re-kidnapped after deportation back home.

These women are human beings and that deserves honor, dignity, and freedom. They are broken by shame and in need of rescue. It was also encouraging to read about people who actively rescue and help these women.

⚠️⚠️Mature content; trigger warning: rape, murder, sexual descriptions, brute force.

[Julio The Fox · Rating 5 out of 5]

So I'm in a trendy New York City nightclub sitting next to this Russian chick and she sez to me, "You're Hispanic so you obviously know Spanish. Do you know any words in Russian" and I sez, "Sure, I know lots of words in Russian, "tovarich", "mir", "spasiba", "pravda"...and she comes back with "Hey, that's funny, 'cause most of the men I meet the only word they know in Russian is the word for "sexy"! Da, my introduction to the world of the Natashas, at least in person. Years earlier a brother in a foreign land I shall not name told me "Go up to the penthouse of any skyscraper in this city and order yourself a Natasha". You see, Russian women caught up in the global sex trade made possible, and probably inevitable, by the collapse of the Soviet Union and globalization can be found working, or if you prefer serving, their customers from Israel (huge market in Russian women, and not all are Russian Jewish) to China (Chinese businessmen cross the border from Manchuria into Siberia or else have Natashas brought to them) and the United States (Boris, the mafiya Boss of Brighton Beach, once boasted, "I almost sold a sex slave once to a customer in California, but the deal fell through"). In a coals-to-Newcastle situation, you can even find Russian girls in Bangkok, since they are a big hit with Japanese male tourists. Enjoy is not the right word to use in reading this book, but it does a better job than most treatises that point to one object (basketball, Nike shoes, Nintendo) to dissect global capital. I'd rather you read this shocking expose in the spirit of demand and supply; in this case of kidnapped human beings.