here - Cooperazione Italiana allo Sviluppo

the different evaluations of the associations regarding the opportunity ofsupporting the path without complaint, when this is not opportune andpossible 80 ;the ideological-cultural basic options of the associations, regardingprostitution and the most opportune policies to face the matter;the availability of work occasions on the territory and the orientation of theQuesture on the conversion of permissions to stay for social protection intopermissions to stay for work reasons;the attitudes of the Questure on the motives for revoking permissions to stay.We will look at some of theses aspects 81 and the relapse that they have in thestructuring of the exit paths of the victims from their condition. We will try tohighlight the critical knots that characterise the exit of the Nigerian victims fromthe prostitution circuit, in a path undertaken together with the associations. We willdo so, isolating those which, in the judgement of the operators, are the principaland most problematic phases of the taking in charge of Nigerian girls and women.The first contactThe first contact between the support services and the victims of the trafficfollow two different means. following to the decision of the victim to turn to one ofthe organisations seeking some type of help or, on the contrary, the organisationsreach the girls and propose them the possibility to free themselves from thecondition in which they live.In the first case, very useful has been the toll-free number instituted by theMinistry, which distributes the calls of the victims at the local level. According tothese appointed operators, however, the breaking of the publicity campaign in themass media for long periods has greatly weakened this important instrument ofcontact.The tam tam between the victims, particularly extensive among the girls ofNigerian origin, has on the other hand revealed the most efficacious and frequentcontact channel. The organisations, particularly in the activity of drop-ins, arereached even daily by telephone calls and visits from women who ask for a widerange of interventions: from economic to health assistance, even as far as theexplicit request for help to leave the life on the street. Only a small part of thesecontacts transform themselves however into an exit path.Very important, in the testimony of the operators, has proved to be the cautionand graduality, necessary to break the climate of silence and create a condition offaith in the victim, on which basis to start a proposal to take in charge.80Some consider that the availability of victims to make a charge is a fundamental precondition forchanging life and the interruption of the relationship of psychological harassment; others however are ofthe opinion that the absence of a charge is absolutely necessary in some cases so as to not exercise furtherviolence on the women.81For scrutiny of all the aspects indicated, see Petrini-Ferraris (2002, page 33); Prina (2002 b, page 58);Petrini (2002, page 491); Prina (2002 a, page 499); Petrini-Prina-Virgilio (2002; page 529).