On Friday, 32-year-old Effie boards a fully packed flight to Dubai. A mother of two, divorced, and working as an influencer, she claims to be going for product promotion and some shopping while spending the weekend there. What Effie does not mention is that she is not promoting anything—she participates in porta-potty parties, gatherings where the twisted fantasies and desires of ultra-rich “bosses” are fulfilled. These parties are now infamous as events where, in the best-case scenario, “you go in wearing Dior, and if you leave alive, you get $10,000 and PTSD.”

Effie is just one of the many young women who every Friday fill planes headed for the glamorous emirate. At these notorious porta-potty parties, where women from all over the world are used as human toilets (porta-potty literally means portable toilet used on construction sites and outdoor locations) and abused in the most perverse ways, half of Greece shudders. Literally, as Effie endures this to “earn” around $10,000 per week. Not every week, but most weeks when she is “invited.” On other occasions, she supplements her income with “regulars”—Greek permanent clients—charging €250–300 per session for sexual services. This is how she maintains her expensive lifestyle: a home in a good neighborhood, private school for her children, and a luxury SUV. “She earns the money herself, but everyone pays—from the bakery and rent to the gym, hair salon, and nails,” says a collaborator, who admits that the difficulty lies in making the money earned from these parties appear legal.

When the work goes wrong
A crucial detail: porta-potty parties mainly take place in Dubai, but not exclusively. The environment is somewhat safer now that the UAE relaxed laws regarding sex outside of marriage (since 2022), but some individuals exploit this change. Parties often occur not only in villas and hotel suites but also in tents in the middle of the desert and on super-luxury yachts, which sometimes cruise Greek islands, Italy, and other parts of Europe. In all cases, since professional luxury escorts usually do not service these parties, every precaution is taken to leave no evidence of these events for Dubai police or judicial authorities.

Organizers pay handsomely to “order” girls from nearby, often influencers or models, who are then presented to clients via Instagram and TikTok. Agents often pose as representatives of some Arab prince, but in reality serve ultra-rich Emiratis as well as extremely wealthy Europeans, Americans, Australians, Asians, and others seeking a weekend escape. There is even a “trial version,” allowing clients to participate in a limited capacity for a symbolic fee of $1,000 to see what the “package” includes.

The term “porta-potty” describes these parties literally: portable toilets combined with money, luxury, a dreamlike lifestyle in a crime-free country, but also with sickness, danger, and the ultimate humiliation of human dignity. Girls report being approached by agents who present the “package”—with payment ranging from $10,000 to $100,000 depending on beauty, age, services provided, and notoriety. At the parties, participants are turned into human toilets, forced into sexual acts with animals, beaten, imprisoned, and humiliated in various ways—including being shaved bald or even mutilated at out-of-control parties reminiscent of the most disturbing snuff films.

Sometimes, the work goes terribly wrong. For instance, 20-year-old Maria Kovaltsiuk, an OnlyFans model from Ukraine, disappeared last March after a porta-potty party at a hotel (to which she was invited by two men claiming to be fashion professionals) and was later found semi-conscious in a construction site after falling from a floor.

A side note: Maria ultimately survived her ordeal, but not all women do. According to journalistic investigations, at least two other participants died after falling from buildings or due to exhaustion, starvation, or other consequences of weeks of abuse at such parties. Influencers report that participants—usually wealthy Arabs or powerful Western businessmen—sometimes cross lines, causing serious injuries to women.

Maria Kovaltsiuk appears to be one of the women who, when the party went wrong, was abused and thrown from a building into garbage. She doesn’t recall exactly how she was injured, only that during the party, participants “started drinking heavily and teasing me because I wasn’t. Then they became aggressive and said, ‘You belong to us, we’ll do whatever we want with you.’”

Whether the 20-year-old Ukrainian fell victim to a rogue party or something else, rumors abound about severe injuries to women who participated in such parties or who refused and were abused, even to death.

Defense for participants is difficult—both physically and legally—as they sign heavily documented NDAs before attending the parties and receiving payment. They are also warned that Dubai law, still strict regarding sex outside marriage, could imprison them for adultery if it is shown they had sexual relations with married men. This, combined with the signed contracts, discourages any reporting to authorities.

An unwritten rule also exists: what happens in Dubai, stays in Dubai. Participants are usually invited discreetly: “Private yacht. First-class ticket. You’ll love the view.” Among call girls, a little rhyme circulates about the dangers of porta-potty parties:

“You arrive in Dior, leave with PTSD. Because this isn’t just a party. It’s a porta-potty party, and no, it’s not funny.”

And indeed, it’s no laughing matter. The physical and psychological trauma from beatings, group sexual assaults, humiliation involving feces, and exposure to life-threatening situations can result in severe PTSD.

There are no tickets
As mentioned, on Fridays, flights departing from Eleftherios Venizelos Airport to Dubai are so full of young influencers and models that seats are extremely difficult to find. “Not only that,” explains a Greek resident between the Emirates and Athens, “but on weekends, all escort services in Greece are basically closed because they cannot keep up with the demand from Dubai. And note, we’re talking about professional escorts paid from 1,000 dirhams (approx. €250) per hour who don’t serve… extreme tastes like those at porta-potty parties.”

Greek participants are usually “recommended” or referred. Direct approaches from agents are rare; instead, other girls, acting as both participants and intermediaries, recruit newcomers.

After incidents like Kovaltsiuk’s, older influencers are asked to maintain the referral system. They ensure the newcomers’ secrecy and introduce them safely into the circle, providing some assurance for novices.

“You belong to me now”
There are longstanding cases, such as a Greek model on a mega-yacht party who, after overdosing on cocaine, other drugs, and alcohol, became unconscious. She endured beatings, sexual assault with objects, and was struck until unconscious, ultimately hospitalized the next day. Her retreat from the scene became a cautionary tale for others.

It is considered safer (if the word can even be used) to attend with a friend rather than alone, because the situation can turn dangerous in moments. A phrase Kovaltsiuk heard is nearly standard at porta-potty parties:

“You belong to me now.”

Owners treat their “property” as objects, covering them in filth, forcing them to consume it, endure beatings, group humiliation, or confinement in storage rooms and large trash bins—sometimes for multiple nights.

This, of course, is exploited by girls who now act as intermediaries, for a fee. Being introduced by an “older” participant to the right paying clients, parties, and opportunities is valuable. They call this cost the “ticket”—for access, guidance in choosing the right parties, and handling earnings without falling into the tax authority’s scrutiny.