In Madrid, police shut down a brothel that had been operating for over ten years in a residential building in the Tetuán district. During the operation, five women were arrested on suspicion of organizing and running the establishment. According to investigators, at least twelve women were exploited in the apartment, offered to clients through special promotions, prize draws for free services were held, and in some cases, they were even used as payment for renovation work.
Discounts and lottery system
Inside the apartment housing the brothel, which operated under the name El edén de Anita, police discovered a carefully crafted system for attracting and retaining clients. Among the evidence found was a box containing slips of paper with months and numbers written on them. These turned out to be tickets for a monthly lottery: the winner received one free hour with one of the women. In addition, the establishment’s website regularly featured ‘girl of the day’ offers—services of one of the victims were sold at a reduced price, for example, 40 euros for half an hour. Regular customers were offered loyalty bonuses: free visits for a certain number of sessions, birthday discounts, and incentives for bringing in new clients.
Exploitation and living conditions
The women lived in cramped conditions: three bunk beds stood in the living room, separated only by a curtain. In their free time, they had to squeeze into this small space. According to police, if a client wanted to use drugs with a girl, she was not allowed to refuse, which led to addiction among some victims. The owner and the managers of the brothel controlled every aspect of the women’s lives, and also used their labor to pay for household services — for example, offering staff to choose between monetary compensation or ‘payment’ with the time of one of the girls.
Evidence and progress of the investigation
During the search, eight mobile phones, a computer, a flash drive, accounting records, €3,500 in cash, and Viagra tablets were seized. Five bank accounts were also frozen and will be thoroughly investigated. The investigation qualifies the actions of the detainees as the creation of a criminal group, coercion into prostitution, and money laundering. According to the head of the human trafficking division, roles in the establishment were clearly distributed: separate managers were responsible for shifts during the day, evening, night, and weekends, while the main organizer would come twice a day to collect the proceeds.
Context and similar cases
Cases of exploitation of women in illegal brothels remain a pressing problem for Madrid and other regions of Spain. Recently, the capital also investigated another high-profile incident, when an elderly woman died at a pedestrian crossing, sparking a wave of debate about safety measures and police operations. You can read more about that incident in the article about the tragedy on Rafael Finat Street.
