Scotland and the Single Police Force – A few musings…

A few days ago, the Scottish Government announced plans to create a single Police force for the whole country.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-south-scotland-16583576

That set me thinking….  What could it mean for the sex industry in Scotland ?  Would the change be for the better, or for the worse ?

I have yet to be able to set aside some quality time to read through the proposals in detail, but did have a few first thoughts which I’d like to share.

The new Scottish Police force will have a single Chief Constable, and whilst the service would be “independent” would be “subject to parliamentary scrutiny”.  Well, a single Chief Constable who might “report” to the First Minister. Is there a chance that political views would be communicated in a forceful and robust manner to this single person, who would then be dictating the strategy for the whole of Scotland ?

I wonder who will appoint the new Chief Constable ? and how much political interference will there be in the process ?

It is said that there will be a “Designated local policing commander and senior fire officer for each local authority area”, but, while at the moment the local chiefs in the area get to dictate policy to a great extent, for example, over how the sex industry is regulated – you only need to look at how the main cities, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Inverness and Aberdeen are treated to see there is a huge difference in that regard – which can be driven by local issues, I fear that a degree of that flexibility may well be lost, and that over things like the sex industry, there could be a drive for a “one size fits no-one” approach.

What does that matter ?  Well, consider who will be trying to drive the agenda ?  Those in the “rescue” industry and those politicians and activists who want to see the whole thing criminalised will now only have one Chief Constable to try and influence.  Get that one person on board and the whole country could have a set of new guidelines, maybe even have a single group of officers to co-ordinate things.

And if they get to influence those that will appoint the Chief Constable in the first place…… the outlook could be pretty grim. We could end up with some of the nastier aspects of recently dumped legislation getting in by the back door, with no legislation, just informal “guidance” used by all.

Food for thought as they say…….

Must find time to read some more.  The devil as they say, is always in the detail.

Call for change in law to protect prostitutes from violent crime

A good article in the Guardian which you can read in full “HERE”.
Owen Bowcott, legal affairs correspondent
guardian.co.uk, Monday 16 January

A series of gang attacks on brothels in east London has triggered calls for changes to the prostitution laws after victims who reported knifepoint robberies said they ended up being threatened with prosecution.

A police investigation has been launched as senior Labour and Conservative members of the London assembly and the English Collective of Prostitutes allege that violent crime is being given a lower priority than less serious sex offences.

The attacks highlight the growing debate over calls for New Zealand’s pioneering decriminalisation of sex work to be considered – an approach recently supported by the Association of Chief Police Officers.

What is said by sex workers to be a spate of robberies – involving cash and jewellery – coincides with an increase in police raids on east London addresses being used as brothels before the 2012 London Olympics.

The first address targeted was in Barking, east London, on 6 December. A video showing five men apparently breaking into another house in the area being used by sex workers is also being studied by officers. The women who made the first complaint allege they recognise some of the gang members from the YouTube clip.

In a third attack, at a different address, a woman who worked as a maid at a brothel is alleged to have been raped by the gang. None of the victims there reported the offence for fear of being charged by officers with living off the proceeds of prostitution; the police say they are so far unaware of this incident.

The ECP said changes to the law, in response to fears over the forcible trafficking of foreign sex workers into Britain, have made it more difficult for women to work together in houses for safety.

A letter of complaint sent by Niki Adams, a leading ECP activist who works with Legal Action for Women, to the borough police commander in Barking last month, said the way the investigation into the first incident had been pursued had discouraged “sex workers from reporting attacks”.

The letter continued: “The 6 December attack was at knifepoint and the women felt they had to try and protect themselves. They think the assailants may well be the same people who have robbed them before, who have got away with it, and so have returned and become more violent as they have got bolder.

“Targeting women for prosecution in this way undermines any attempts to catch those who attack and exploit sex workers … We are receiving reports of incidents where women have been attacked and their attackers have told them brazenly that they know women won’t dare go to the police.” Adams believes there may have been as many as 20 attacks in the area over the past two years.

The Metropolitan police confirmed it was aware of the 6 December attack and the YouTube video and is investigating whether the attacks are linked. “We can confirm that we were called to an alleged incident of aggravated burglary at an address in Victoria Road, Barking,” a statement said.

“Patrolling officers arrived at the scene and were quickly accompanied by scene of crime officers and detectives from Barking and Dagenham CID. Detectives also visited the venue on a further occasion to ascertain the circumstances surrounding the incident.

“Unfortunately, those at the address were unwilling to substantiate the allegation or further assist with the investigation despite a number of attempts for them to do so. The case remains under investigation and should any further information come to light it will of course be vigorously pursued.”

The force said “a notice has been served to the registered owner of the venue in Victoria Road under the auspices of section 33a of the Sexual Offences Act 1956. The notice formally notified the recipient that they were liable to prosecution should the premises in Victoria Road remain in use as a brothel”.

Referring to the YouTube video, the police said: “We are looking to see if the attacks are linked. Officers take any such reports extremely seriously and actively encourage all members of the community, particularly those who may be vulnerable to such incidents, to come forward and contact police.

“Officers at Barking and Dagenham work hard to ensure that the borough remains a safe place for all residents. The welfare of victims remains our primary concern and we acknowledge that some members of the community are more vulnerable and susceptible to crime.

“We strive to encourage and support female victims and to assist us further we are in the process of launching a bespoke multi-agency victim care service. This will see female victims receiving the best possible support and will include fast-track referrals to housing and health professionals as well as Safer Neighbourhood reassurance intervention.”

Prostitution itself is not illegal but associated activities – such as kerb crawling, placing advertising cards in phoneboxes and working in premises with more than one person available for paid sex – are outlawed.

Last November Simon Byrne, Acpo’s lead officer on prostitution and sexual exploitation, suggested there was a need for a fresh look at the legal balance. Then deputy chief constable of Greater Manchester, Byrne is in the process of moving to the Met as assistant commissioner. “There is a great amount of academic research available, much of which supports the view that an alternative approach is needed,” he wrote on his official Acpo blog. “An example would be the decriminalisation and regulation of brothels in Australia and New Zealand, not an answer to all of the related issues but certainly a solution to some.

“More of those involved in sex work in Australia and New Zealand can now access health services with ease, whilst maintaining more personal security in an emotive area for policing.”

Another proponent of reform is Andrew Boff, a Conservative member of the London assembly. “The law is framed so as to put women [sex workers] into the most vulnerable position,” he said. “The changes brought in by the last government seemed to [be derived from] the view that every single worker in the sex trade was trafficked. “People are not willing to come forward over these attacks. When they report them, the women themselves have had action taken against them. I’m compiling a report on the problem for Boris Johnson.”

Len Duvall, the leader of the Labour group at the London assembly, said: “We need to examine in greater detail information and case studies from those countries that have sought to legalise prostitution, including the model put forward by New Zealand, especially if it provides a degree of protection for sex workers and reduces crimes associated with prostitution.

“Where brothels have not posed a problem to the wider community and there has been no evidence of sex trafficking, I have heard evidence that the police have taken an inconsistent and heavy-handed approach in dealing with sex workers. There is also evidence that crimes against sex workers are being ignored.”

Earlier this month, Sheila Farmer, a sex worker who operated with other women out of shared premises, had charges of brothel-keeping against her dismissed at Croydon crown court. The Crown Prosecution Service said there had been no change in enforcement policy; the unexpected failure of a witness to appear led to the charge being withdrawn. Farmer said she had chosen to work with other women for safety because she had been attacked previously when working alone.

Nigel Richardson, the solicitor who represented her, said he was aware of another case in Surrey where women had reported an attack on their flat from a rival operation. “They were visited by two men who threatened the women and were pouring petrol around the place,” he said.

“My client called the police. Officers intially took the attack very seriously but eventually arrested my client. The men were never brought to book for an assault but my client was prosecuted for running a brothel.”

Tim Barnett, the British-born former New Zealand MP who pushed through his adopted country’s decriminalisation legislation in 2003, was in London before Christmas where he briefed Boff and Duvall. “We said let’s make the law the best to minimise harm,” he said at the time. “We set up a review of the legislation. A number of people said the number of sex workers would rise.

“So we reviewed it after five years in 2008. The review didn’t find any increase and there was an improvement in the relationship with the police. Sex workers were using their rights under the legislation to deal with poor-quality brothel owners or clients who had been behaving abusively.”

Australian Charity Accussed of Faking Hill Tribe Rescue

We know some charities and NGOs are open to interpret statistics and research to aid them in negotiations for Government funds, and to pull at the purse strings of the general public.  Here they go one step further and fake rescues for fund raising publicity.

A case of an Australian charity called The Gray Man has started Australian investigations into their methods of money  raising.  The Gray Man charity published a rescue they made of 21 children from a life in Thai brothels and slavery.  Using photos of the group to raise money from the public.  An investigation has found the children never left the village, all living at home, attending school, and all their meals, uniforms being paid for by the Thai Government.

The Australian Federal Police were summoned by the Thai police and urged to look into the alleged fake rescue.

Read more of the article here

 

College girl Niamh: why I became a €220 per hour escort

Good article from Ireland about escorting, many positive comments, even some good quotes from the Irish police. Very positive considering the potential for the implementation of the Swedish law in the Republic of Ireland.

It’s the oldest profession in the world but the recession is driving a new breed of woman into its ranks. Next month, an autobiography called Between the Sheets will tell the story of how one middle-class Irish woman mired in debt turned to the sex trade to pay the bills.

But the author, known only by her pseudonym Scarlett O’Kelly, is far from alone. She is just one of a growing number of Irish women from respectable backgrounds who are selling their bodies to make it through the downturn.

Some were once high-fliers whose careers in banking, law and property have turned to dust. Others are stay-at-home mums who long for the trappings of their tiger lifestyle and need the cash for school fees and car loans. An alarming number are young graduates fresh out of college with no hope of finding work beyond the sex industry.

Niamh (not her real name) is the last sort of woman you’d put down as a call girl. She grew up in a wealthy suburb of south Dublin, studied psychology at university and used to have a career in marketing. She’s into healthy living and doesn’t smoke, drink or do drugs. But today, the 40-year-old runs a one-woman escort service from her home near Dun Laoghaire.

For €220 an hour, she offers “nice conversation”, “companionship” and “personal services” in her home. She’s happy to be taken out for dinner, and if the money’s right, she’ll do an overnight. On an average week, she takes home €1,500, which she can make in a matter of hours.

“It’s the only way of making ends meet at the moment,” she says.

“I won’t say it’s easy money, but it is fast money. For example, this afternoon, I was down with a dentist near Wicklow. He gave me €250 and he didn’t even last five minutes.

“It’s always very busy at this time of year, during and after Christmas. My phone is on call most of the time and there is a lot of work after midnight.”

Niamh has been working in the trade since the economy started to flounder. Back then, most of her counterparts were Brazilian and Eastern European, but she notices a stark difference today.

“Five years ago, virtually everyone working in the business was foreign, but suddenly in the last year, there’s been an influx of Irish women coming into it. I know at least 10 off the top of my head. There’s definitely a demand for them among the clientele.”

In a country whose sex industry is booming, recent figures suggest that on any given day at least 1,000 women are selling sex in Ireland. But this surge in private escorting is meeting a new demand from men who are moving away from drugged-up street workers and foreign girls, and buying into the fantasy of the high-class hooker.

Most of Niamh’s clients are professionals who call the shots in the office but want her to take control in the bedroom.

“I see all types of men all across the country. Lawyers, doctors, people you might see on television. One of my clients is on the Sunday Times Rich List but he will open the door to me on his knees in a pair of ladies’ underwear. He tells me he is fully under my control.”

Another is a garda I’ve seen a few times, a very kind man who likes to pretend he’s a prison warden and I’m the female prisoner. I’ve been in some really hilarious situations.”

But support agencies who witness first hand the fallout from prostitution — drug addiction, rape, violence and suicide — rarely see the funny side of the trade.

“No matter what side of the tracks they come from, I have never met a happy prostitute in my 12 years working in this business,” says Linda Latham, of the Women’s Health Service on Dublin’s Baggot Street, which has seen a dramatic increase in middle-class women coming to its door.

“In the ’80s and ’90s, we saw mainly heroin addicts but now across the board we are seeing educated women who are so strapped for cash they are resorting to it out of dire economic need.

“We see a lot of women with degrees and qualifications who just can’t get work. They are usually trying to fund families. It’s particularly noticeable at certain times of year when Communions are coming up or Christmas.

“I’ve seldom seen a woman who hasn’t got mental health issues. Some will say ‘oh it’s fine, it’s fine’, but when they get out of it they tell you the actual horrors of the situation — the rapes, the beatings, not being allowed to use condoms or attend clinics. Most women are afraid of their lives and want to get the hell out of it.”

But the view that women who work in the sex trade are vulnerable, helpless mugs controlled by pimps and incapable of making decisions for themselves is increasingly challenged.

“It’s not always the case that women are forced into prostitution,” says Dr Paul Ryan, sociology lecturer at NUI Maynooth and a member of the Sex Workers Alliance of Ireland (SWAI), a representative body for Irish prostitutes opposed to the criminalisation of sex workers and their clients.

“Some make a choice to do it. It is something women enter and leave all the time depending on whether they have a First Communion coming up or another financial pressure.

“I did research which showed that some women prefer to do sex work than resort to shoplifting. It is actually a moral choice for them and there is a lot of decision-making based around it. That notion is often brushed under the carpet with the attitude that all prostitution is violent, all prostitutes need to be rescued. . . end of. That’s far too simplistic.”

A senior garda detective based in Limerick, a city that has become a magnet for sex workers, backs up this claim.

“None of the women we have caught has been trafficked. A lot are coming over to make money and they are certainly not always under the control of a pimp, especially the Romanians and Brazilians. They make more in a week here than they would in a year in their home country. Sadly, it’s a lifestyle choice for them and they can make very big money out of it.”

Niamh claims to be a prime example of this new class of sex worker. A strong-minded, opinionated, single woman, she operates as a sole agent, squirms at the idea of having a pimp, and claims she has never put her life in danger. As for the psychological baggage, she tolerates it to keep a roof over her head.

“I’ve never had any trouble. If you get a late-night call out to somewhere you don’t know, you would be a little bit wary, but most of the guys are just ordinary men who are desperately lonely and want a bit of company. Some just want to give you a hug and a kiss and have a cup of tea. The only problem I’ve had is that sometimes they want to marry you.

“How do I deal with it all emotionally? I just switch off. No matter how ugly or fat or unattractive they might be, once you’ve done the first one or two, you break down that barrier and become immune to it.

“But sometimes, like last night, I feel guilty. I went to see a guy I know quite well. He usually comes to me but this time he asked me to go to his house because his wife was away. He lives in a fabulous mansion on the east coast. They’ve been married for more than 20 years and have three children but the sex has gone down to about once a month and even then it isn’t great.

“He wanted me to come dressed as a nurse, which I did, but when I went into the house and there were children’s toys scattered around and photographs of the wife and kids on the wall, I felt terrible to be honest.

“I thought to myself ‘what if it was me and my husband was paying to sleep with other women? How would I feel?’ But at the end of the day, men have their needs and I am just providing them. It’s all a big act, and each one is nothing more than a business transaction.”

By Gemma O’Doherty
Saturday Jan 7 2012

Originally published in independent Ireland

The year in perspective

International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers

In the dying throws of 2010 we saw the conviction of Stephen Griffiths for the murder of three prostitutes from Bradford, Suzanne Blamires, 36, Shelley Armitage, 31, and 43-year-old Susan Rushworth.  The IUSW held a vigil in Bradford outside the court house on the International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers, days before his conviction.  It seems as a country we had not learned how to treat sex work and sex workers after the Ipswich murders.  Seemingly by the statements from the Bradford police at the time of the convictions they still had not learnt.

Those who refuse to engage willingly with the specialist services available, are tackled by the Vice Team who utilise the laws available to their full extent to ensure their engagement.

In the last month alone, our operations have seen 40 men arrested for kerb crawling offences in the city centre and we will continue to target those who purchase the services of women.

There though were some rays of  hope on the horizon and 2011 has seen some progress to protect sex workers from violence. A ground breaking project involving Armistead a Liverpool outreach organisation, and the local police, started in 2006 had seen the Merseyside Police agree a policy that all crimes against sex workers be treated as hate crime. Armistead was able to secure government funding for an Independent Sexual Violence Advisor (ISVA) located within the project.  With this an ugly mugs scheme achieved many convictions of rapists.  As 2010 was leaving us, rumours started to appear that a comprehensive ugly mugs scheme might be funded by the Government and rolled out through the whole country.  Shelly Stoops talks about her work here.  We also heard the Conservative Government might  start listening to sex workers and their views.

The police got into the act as well, and the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) started to make noises about the enforceability of the existing sex work laws, and how they supported the Liverpool initiative and the Nationwide ugly mugs scheme.  Assistant Chief Constable Simon Byrne felt a review of prostitution law would not come amiss.

A consultation started involving interested parties from various organisations, UKNSWP,  ACPO, IUSW, Eaves, the Government  and many other organisations into recommendations into harm reduction. The UKNWSP issued a press release in February, Preventing Violence, Protecting Sex Workers. Various submissions were made to the home office, including personal submissions from sex workers.

In November the home office releasednew guidelines on how to treat prostitution and  ACPO also came out with their own guidelines on policing prostitution.  The guidelines did not make great reading, but the text announcing the Guide Lines from Simon Byrne were a revelation, he was asking for a review of prostitution and that the New Zealand model should be looked at.

To mark the International Day to End Violence against Sexworkers, the UK Government announced funding for an National Ugly Mugs scheme to be to be run by the UK Network of Sex Work Projects and launched in spring 2012.

It is a pity not all police forces were listening to ACPO.  The Surrey police continued in their prosecution of Hannah Morris.  Hannah who operated discrete flats in Surrey, with the knowledge of the police force.  She always moved her flats regularly, usually after the police  suggested a move, and her neighbours did not know what went on.  One day the flat was attacked by two men who poured petrol through the flat and threatened to burn the place down.  She, her partner and the maid were prosecuted by the police for brothel keeping and money laundering.  The perpetrators of the crime were never even interviewed by the police despite their identity being known

Another case where the police and CPS were not following prosecution guide lines was in the case of Sheila Farmer who was being persecuted for managing a flat which she shared with other similarly aged sex workers.  After many delays (18 months) Sheila Farmer  went to court in January where the case was dropped for the lack of evidence.  Her article in the Guardian after the case.

Coincidentally in the same week Michael Peacock was being prosecuted for the distribution of obscene DVDs under the  Obscene Publications Act 1959.  These contained anal fisting, urination and various other sex acts which the police and prosecution service considered obscene.  The jury did not agree, and Michael was acquitted on all charges unanimously. I don’t suppose Jacqui Smith is best pleased, she took to the airwaves with a program looking into porn.

News stories

Some news stories came back to haunt the journalists, and the Labour Government who fed on them, the story of the buying a 14 year old for prostitution.

The special report by award winning journalist Chris Rogers also ran on ITV’s News at 10 and on CNN in 2008, as well as in the Daily Mail Night and Day magazine – detailing how they had managed to buy a 14-year-old from sex slave traders at a petrol station in Iasi, a town in north eastern Romania.

She actually was 25 years, old and a known Romanian sex worker Monica Ghinga.  I am not sure why this has hit the news, this piece of information was available back in 2008 on the  Guardian Website of all places.  Unfortunately this program set the scene for the legislative changes brought in by the Labour Government.

The legacy of the Labour Government was to bring in a law that criminalised clients who visited sex workers who were coerced.  The law is a year old, and 43 men have been convicted.  We don’t know if these were court appearances or cautions which are all to easy for police officers to coerce a suspect to accept.

POCA (Proceeds of Crime Act), the law allows the courts to go after the money the villains made.  This law was created to go after the serious villians of crime is being brothel keepers, often women who are also working.  It is profitable for police, brothels are easy to find, and take little to prosecute and the police get to keep 25% of the proceeds. (50% found on the premises)  This owner, a man fell foul of the law, and despite running his brothel with the tacit agreement of the police, was raided and closed down.  The judge awarded £750,000 to be recouped from John Williams Burrows.  Another brothel keep was ordered to pay 4.2 million from a sting of brothels he owned.  He appealed and this was reduced to £873,010 on a technicality,

Canada and the USA Argentina

In 2010  Canadian prostitutes brought a successful  case against the the Ottawa Government.  The judgement was the laws made sex workers unsafe, and that laws banning brothels etc had to be removed.  The Ottawa state is to appeal this and  the case has been adjourned several times.  The discussions continue. It is now 2012 and we are still waiting the result.

There were other cases of sex workers forcing changes in the Government policy.  In the US a human rights question was raised.   The statement from the U.S. state department should allow sex workers access to to STD testing without fear of arrest.  Some how I can’t see this happening  for  a country that uses possession of condoms as evidence of prostitution, and in some states puts sex workers on the sex offenders list,

We agree that no one should face violence or discrimination in access to public services based on sexual orientation or their status as a person in prostitution, as this recommendation suggests.

A number of campaigns in the US were progressing well, and some had achieved success.  Trafficked prostitutes could now have the slate wiped clean and their prostitution offences removed from their record allowing them to get a job.  Carrying condoms in NYC can be used as evidence of prostitution, this was being actively campaigned against.

Sex workers in Argentina are looking to unionise.

Stigma

Still porn stars, and sex workers get sacked from their jobs, when their past or even current life appears.

In June around the world, slut walk campaigns started, this started as a protest against  the comments of a Canadian police officer told a class of students they should avoid dressing like sluts in order not to be raped.  The reaction was immediate and SlutWalks have been organised around the world and in towns and cities throughout the UK.  SlutWalks are also pro sex workers rights, and the ECP used the platform to campaign for Sheila Farmer. Radical feminists did try an hijack the movement.

In August at  the International AIDS conference, Sex workers were attacked by police. It seems to be part of the Korean governments brutal crack down on sex workers human rights since sex work was criminalised.

Recession

With the recession we started to here the age old story of students funding their education as strippers and sex workers.  In December the National Union of Students went to press about this, and the BBC featured the story over a week with a number of interviews looking at prostitution and students.  The Lovely Laura Lee, IUSW activist was interviewed.

In April The Daily Sport went into liquidation, removing another print avenue for escort advertising which Harriet Harmen had started a couple of years before.  The Sport came back as the Sunday Sport.

 

Trafficking and Johns

Still the discredited figures on the number of sex workers trafficked, or the number of prostitutes who start work as early teens are quoted by those who feel they have to save sex workers from themselves.  Every now and again new research and new opinion comes up to refute these claims. An interesting commentary on trafficking numbers hysteria written by  Chris Monfort can be found here.

Eaves who have done good work with trafficking victims, but alas were politically motivated in stopping all prostitution lost their Government sponsorship.  The money being transferred to the Salvation Army.  Despite being a religious organisation, they do appear to provide a more non judgemental service.  Those activists who have contacted them have found them  more personable than Eaves.

Mz Farley continues with her brand of research and campaigning which was aired on Newsweek.

Ronald Weitzer continues to write about the myths of trafficking, in this case the Huffington Post.

Where are the victims, the credibility gap in human trafficking research.

At the end of October, Nick Mai finished his research on migrant sex workers in London.  The answer unsurprisingly was that a very vast majority of migrant sex workers are here voluntarily.

Google gives money to many causes, and in December gave money to many organisation working to fight trafficking.  Their selection of organisation contained three who should not have received their money.  These three are sex work unfriendly.  Organizations such as International Justice Mission, Polaris Project, and Not for Sale use the banner of “fighting sex trafficking” as a weapon to push broader religious and moral agendas about “correct” sex behavior. These types of Western NGOs rely on junk science and fake “statistics,” and they are excellent at emotional propaganda which bizarrely argues that they are saving helpless children from sex slavery by arresting adult sex workers. These groups commonly seek to silence our concerns by pointing out that we have a financial stake in the matter. We do. But that stake pales in comparison to the amount of money that gets raked in every year by those spreading panic that lumps all types of sex work in with forced sex trafficking. The real profit is not in sex work, but in maligning us to a public that doesn’t know any better.

Lapdancing

Now armed with a new law,  councils have started to shut pole dancing and lap dancing clubs.  The first to try was Hackney who wanted a nil policy, i.e. no lap dancing clubs in the borough.  They polled their electorate and received an overwhelming no to the proposal.  They relented a little an allowed existing clubs to stay open, so long as they abided by strict rules.    It always seems our rulers know better than us.  Even the local vicar hit out at the councils plan.  The antis brought in misguided statistics on rape to bolster their case, Belle Du Jour analysed these statistics, and showed the exact opposite  and that rape statistics were actually lower after the clubs opened.

Other boroughs of London are are trying  what Hackney has done, and Tower Hamlets wants to close all its clubs.  They  have run a poll, but not published any results. It has been reported they have brought in data forensics to look at the results.  The results must obviously not support their case. Islington wants to stop new clubs opening, while Camden has proposed tougher licensing requirements for new clubs.   This story will run for the rest of the year,

Advertising Campaigns

A number of sex worker advertising campaigns hit the streets.  SWAAY- Sex Work Activists and You went to place a bill board in Hollywood.  Simple and discrete with the message defining a sex worker, and differentiating between sex work and trafficking.  Could SWAYY find any advertising agency to run the bill board.  No, eventually it was run, but on a mobile advertising board.

The Irish sex worker rights organisation, Turn off the Blue Light (TOBL), was to advertise using Google ad-words, but had their ad-words dropped.  They had to take their case to Google, and Google eventually relented.

In San Francisco the St James Infirmary ran an advertising campaign,  Some one you know is a sex worker.  They were able to places these advertisements on the local buses of SanFrancisco.

 

Sweden and the Swedish Solution

http://harlotsparlour.wordpress.com/2011/01/27/sweden-proposes-increasing-the-penalty-for-the-purchase-of-sex/

France looks like joining Sweden with new legislation to ban the purchase of sexual services.

Scotland looked headed down the same path with Trish Godmans private members bill to outlaw prostitution, advertising and management.  She had tried to bring this in as an amendment to the Criminal Justice and Licensing (Scotland) Bill 2010 with the full support of the Scottish Labour Party.  This was rejected, so she tried again with her own bill.  This was never going to pass as  Parliament was due to dissolve.  The intention was to pick this up in the new parliament. Labour, were trounced at the polls with major Labour MSPs losing their seat, and unknown Labour MSPs making into parliament through the secondary voting system.  At the moment all appears to have gone quiet.

The Kennedy report on human trafficking for Scotland was published in December, and the Lovely Laura Lee has written about it.  It does not look at criminalising prostitution, it looks at what can be done to aid trafficked persons.  Laura does though bring up the practice of Grampian police (Aberdeen) of photographing sex workers and their clients and keeping these on file.

Though Scotland is quiet at present, the Republic of Ireland sex workers have their own battles and in February asked for help.  They are running head long down the path to the Swedish solution.  There is a fierce campaign in progress being run by Turn off the Blue Light and the Sex Workers Alliance Ireland.

The Future

There are some signs that sex worker rights could get better in the UK, but we have to be mindful that there are strong forces, and a family centred Government in charge who won’t look are sex work as a family friendly business.  Having said that, they have been far more listening than Labour.

I worry about strip clubs in London, especially the Labour controlled councils.

I worry about the Swedish law, and the way some countries, France, Ireland and I hear even Denmark would like to implement.  There also seems to be a backward movement in New South Wales, Sydney where decriminalisation is looking to turn into legalisation.

 

CCTV of GANG RAIDING AND STEALING LARGE SUM OF CASH FROM MASSAGE PARLOUR. IF YOU HAVE INFORMATION CALL POLICE.

5 members of a gang in north east London had been filmed on CCTV stealing a large sum of money from a massage parlor in 13/12/2011. If anyone knows any information of these members please call 999 quoting this video.

IUSW PRESS RELEASE

Press Release

The International Union of Sex Workers
Saturday7th January 2012
Immediate Release

Ground-breaking trial redefines obscenity law.
The International Union of Sex Workers is delighted by the unanimous verdicts of “not guilty” on all counts in the trial of Michael Peacock that concluded at Southwark Crown Court on Friday 6th January.

Michael’s courage and determination in pursuing this case was the first challenge to the Obscene Publications Act 1959 for many years. Understandably, most people charged with offences under this Act plead guilty as an innocent plea followed by a court case that returns a guilty verdict will result in a harsher sentence. This has the effect of leaving police and CPS opinion of what is “obscene” untested.

The DVDs that were the subject of this prosecution were sold through Michael’s website, sleazymichael.com, and on Craigslist. They contained scenes of male fisting, urination and BDSM. Michael was charged with six counts of publishing obscene articles likely to “deprave and corrupt”. The jury saw a substantial amount of the content which the police and CPS deemed illegal and required less than two hours deliberation to return unanimous not guilty verdicts on all counts. Therefore material showing the activities depicted is no longer defined as obscene in law.

It’s time to decriminalise sex between consenting adults.
Lady Chatterley trial of 1960 (R v Penguin Books) is still quoted as precedent in obscenity trials; the jury’s response in R v Peacock shows public opinion has clearly moved on considerably.

Catherine Stephens, activist with the International Union of Sex Workers, says, “In a week that has also seen the collapse of the Sheila Farmer trial for brothel keeping, it is time to decriminalise the sexual activities of consenting adults, whether or not they are in front of a camera. These two trials were an appalling waste of public resources: the law as it stands does nothing to enhance the safety either of the general public or those who work in the adult industry and often actively increases the dangers we face.”

Michael Peacock says, “Responsible treatment of pornography would allow adults who want to access sexually explicit materials freedom to do so and protect those who are underage or do not wish to view such content. The current legal framework fails to do either of these things. I give my thanks to my legal team at Hodge Jones Allen, the judge who heard my case and the twelve people who served on the jury whose maturity and commonsense has changed the law.”

Hazel Eracleous, Chair of Backlash comments, “Backlash is delighted that a jury decided it is no longer appropriate to prosecute people based on consensual adult sexual activity. We support the rights of adults to participate in all consensual sexual activities and to watch, read and create any fictional interpretation of such in any media. We will continue to raise awareness of the unseen consequences of these draconian laws, provide legal advice and defend those same consenting adults caught up in the Extreme Pornography and Obscene Publication laws.”

Myles Jackman, solicitor at Hodge Jones Allen with a specialist interest in obscenity cases states, “This case shows the Obscene Publications Act is no longer effective in the age of the internet.”

Jerry Barnett, Chairman of the Adult Industry Trade Association (AITA), says, “We congratulate Michael Peacock on his victory. The idea that depictions of consenting adult sexual activity can be deemed obscene is a throwback to an earlier age. The adult industry continues to develop and adopt technologies that prevent children from accessing sexual content. We see no need for adults to be protected from it – a free society should protect the rights of adults to participate in any consenting sexual act they choose.”

For further information contact:

Catherine Stephens
activist, International Union of Sex Workers
catherine@iusw.org
The IUSW is an organisation of people in adult services and entertainment and allies that campaigns for evidence-based policy and practice that protects the human rights and safety of those involved in the adult industry and includes meaningful consultation of those most affected.

Hazel Eracleous, Chair of Backlash
contact@backlash-uk.org.uk
Backlash is an umbrella organisation providing legal, academic and campaigning resources defending freedom of sexual expression. We support the rights of adults to participate in all consensual sexual activities and to watch, read and create any fictional interpretation of such in any media.

Jerry Barnett, Chairman of the Adult Industry Trade Association (AITA)
jerry@aita.co.uk
The Adult Industry Trade Association (AITA) was created to support businesses, services and individuals in the adult industry within the UK. AITA aims to bring together anyone working within the adult sector, whatever their speciality.
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The International Union of Sex Workers:
For our human, civil and labour rights. For our inclusion and decriminalisation.
For freedom to choose and respect for those choices, including the absolute right to say no.
For the full protection of the law. For everyone in the sex industry.
ONLY RIGHTS WILL STOP THE WRONGS.

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Life is hard enough for prostitutes without our work being criminalised

Life is hard enough for prostitutes without our work being criminalised
The government claims it needs to make cuts but squanders huge amounts of money prosecuting women like me So speaks Sheila Farmer in CIF. Story below. Please comment if you can. Read full story and comments “HERE”

Sheila Farmer
guardian.co.uk, Friday 6 January 2012 16.15 GMT

This week charges of brothel-keeping against me were dropped. It’s enough for two prostitutes to live or work together for us to be illegal. To be within the law we must work alone. After 18 months of campaigning to stop my prosecution, it was suddenly claimed there was not enough evidence to proceed. I think this is because I was on the verge of opening a can of worms and the authorities wanted me to go away.

I didn’t plan on becoming a prostitute. I had an abusive and violent childhood leaving me with night terrors and a stammer. As the eldest child I looked after my mother and younger siblings and I learned to be strong. From the age of 11 I worked in a burger bar to pay for bus fares to school, dinner money and school uniform. Like most victims of domestic violence, we had no help to escape.

I became pregnant at 21 and a single parent at 23. I trained to become a computer programmer. This meant leaving the house with my three-year-old at 6.45am arriving home at 7pm and doing three hours’ nightly study. It was very hard but it paid off: I got a good job, bought a house, learned to drive and took my son out of poverty.

All this changed when I lost my eyesight in 1992 and developed a brain tumour as a result of childhood diabetes. I rented a flat to work as a prostitute so I could pay my debts. My son became my carer. After surgery I regained some sight in my right eye.

I worked alone. Within months, I was attacked, raped repeatedly, tied up, held hostage, and nearly strangled. I gave evidence against my attacker but he got off. I suffered years of nightmares and panic attacks and decided never to work alone again.

Using my prostitution earnings I trained for five years to become a counsellor, only to have my chances of getting a job scuppered by a CRB check exposing my prostitution.

By this time I was working with friends because it was safer. We kept our own money but jointly paid towards the rent, bills and advertising. We only found out later that it was illegal to work together.

That’s when I suffered my second major attack. We were robbed at gunpoint by a gang who had targeted hundreds of flats in the south of England. Most victims would not go to the police for fear of being prosecuted. Despite threats to my life and my flat being petrol bombed, I gave evidence and was commended by the judge for my bravery.

We moved to another flat and within a few months were raided. I was arrested and charged with brothel-keeping. My friend, who is Albanian and was worried about being deported, was pressured into signing a statement.

I decided to fight the case as my tumour is now malignant and my time is running out. Who has a right to judge me? People have sex for all kinds of reasons. My reason was to escape the poverty trap. I’ve been told that prostitution is degrading and self-abuse, but how many other people feel abused by their jobs?

The English Collective of Prostitutes worked with me on my defence and spearheaded a support campaign. More than 1,000 people wrote to my MP to protest. I spoke at SlutWalk in Trafalgar Square to the cheers of 5,000 people; I spoke at Occupy LSX and on their live stream. I tell my story hoping that other women and men will recognise some of their life in it and support our fight against criminalisation.

The police use trafficking as an excuse to hound prostitutes. But in my experience, victims of trafficking are rare and don’t get the support they need. Most working women are like you and me, trying to earn a living. Since the 2002 Proceeds of Crime Act, which allows police to seize our money and our goods, arrests have skyrocketed. The police are just pimping.

I’m relieved not to face trial but angry that I was prosecuted. The government claims it needs to make cuts but squanders huge amounts of money prosecuting women like me.

Duwayne Brooks, Stephen Lawrence’s friend, said that the police who were first on the scene treated them as if they were guilty of something. When sex workers report attacks, we face prejudice too. Police may arrest us rather than our attackers. Violent criminals know they can get away with it and attack others, prostitute or not. Don’t the police know this, or don’t they care?

I should be able to work in the job I choose without being victimised – life is hard enough. Prostitution has been decriminalised in New Zealand: sex workers can go to the police and insist on their right to safety. If such changes were made here it could save many lives. And it could make it easier to leave prostitution if we wanted to.

PROSECUTION DROPPED AGAINST SEX WORKER FOR LACK OF EVIDENCE

 

Sheila Farmer, a sex worker who worked with other women from premises for safety had charges of brothel-keeping dismissed today in Croydon Crown Court. She worked with other women since being viciously raped and attacked whilst working alone.

 

Ms Farmer left court with over 20 supporters delighted and relieved that she no longer faces a criminal conviction and possible prison sentence. Ms Farmer suffers from severe diabetes and a malignant brain tumour. Her doctor had provided evidence that an onerous and stressful trial would have exacerbated her condition.

 

Sheila Farmer who is available for interview commented:

“Whilst I’m relieved not to be facing trial I am angry that I was prosecuted. Will the person who made that decision now be held accountable for the 18 months of distress and upset I have suffered while waiting for this case to come to court? Safety and survival has always been my priority. Like hundreds of other women I was working to support my son and more recently to pay for cancer treatment. I would never have got through this ordeal without the English Collective of Prostitutes. Without campaigning we may not have got this result.”  Film of Ms Farmer here (starts at 6min).

 

Cari Mitchell, English Collective of Prostitutes commented:

“Sheila Farmer’s bravery in publicly fighting these charges should be commended. She, like many other sex workers, should never have been forced to choose between safety and legality. Why is it legal to work alone but not with others? The prostitution laws are endangering women and should be abolished. Why are police wasting time and money prosecuting sex workers while rapists and racists go free?”

 

Ms Farmer’s trial was thrown out because of police and prosecution incompetence – witnesses had not been asked to attend court and a key witness could not be found.  Ms Farmer has attended court six times and the case has been listed to start on two previous occasions.

 

How much public money has been squandered on this investigation and prosecution?  How many other investigations are being neglected as a result?

 

The conviction of two of Stephen Lawrence’s murderers reminds us once again that the priorities of police and prosecution fly in the face of public opinion. Why did it take 18 years to try and convict these dangerous criminals while sex workers who do no harm are quickly arrested and jailed? The ECP has received multiple reports of violent robberies by a gang of five men in East London. The only police action has been to threaten the victims with prosecution. Why are women who report violence arrested while their attackers are not pursued?

 

Ms Farmer’s legal team requested figures on the number of attacks against sex workers to demonstrate the high level of violence they face when working alone and the need for protection. The Metropolitan police said that no such figures are gathered. Why not? How can prostitution law and policy be assessed if their impact on sex workers’ safety and welfare is not known?

 

Ms Farmer was represented by solicitor Nigel Richardson, Hodge, Jones and Allen and barrister Anna Morris, Garden Court Chambers. Supporters in court included representatives from Women Against Rape, the Sex Worker Open University and X:talk.

 

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Notes to editor

1.    The brothel-keeping laws used against Ms Farmer criminalise “two or more prostitutes living together or sharing premises for work”. Along with the prostitution laws generally they undermine safety by preventing sex workers from working together for safety and deterring those who have suffered violence from reporting to the police for fear of arrest.

 

2.    The Association of Chief Police Officers recently suggested New Zealand-style decriminalisation which has improved sex workers’ safety and rights.

 

3.    Prosecutions for brothel-keeping and other prostitution charges have risen since the 2002 Proceeds of Crime Act.[1]  Under that law, the police keep 50% of assets confiscated during raids and 25% from subsequent prosecutions, with the Crown Prosecution Service keeping another 25%. Concerns have been raised that this desire to profit is fuelling raids and arrests, distorting police priorities and encouraging police corruption.

 

[1]  Prosecutions for brothel-keeping rose from 3 in 2004, to 11 in 2005, to 39 in 2006, to 41 in 2007 (Answers to Lord Faulkner, Hansard 15 January 2009).

 

English Collective of Prostitutes

Crossroads Women’s Centre

230A Kentish Town Road

London NW5 2AB

Tel: 020 7482 2496/07811 964 171

Fax: 020 7209 4761

ecp@prostitutescollective.net 

www.prostitutescollective.net

ECP PRESS RELEASE

PRESS RELEASE . . . . PRESS RELEASE . . . PRESS RELEASE . . .

Prostitution laws put sex workers at risk.

Ms Sheila Farmer is facing trial for brothel-keeping.

3 January, 10.30am, Croydon Crown Court
The Law Courts, Altyre Road
Croydon, Surrey CR9 5AB

For more info call 020 7482 2496/07811 964 171

On 3 January, Sheila Farmer is going to court charged with brothel-keeping. At the time of her arrest, Ms Farmer was working together with other women for safety. She had previously been viciously raped and attacked whilst working alone. She fell foul of the unjust prostitution laws which criminalise “two or more prostitutes living together or sharing premises for work.”

Why is this prosecution being brought? A week before she was arrested, police had visited the flat where Ms Farmer worked and confirmed that none of the women there were being forced or coerced. Ms Farmer always prioritised safety. At personal risk, despite threats and retribution, she appeared as a witness in court to ensure the conviction of an armed gang that had attacked hundreds of working women in the south of England.

In addition, Ms Farmer is seriously ill. She has been a diabetic since childhood and has a malignant brain tumour. Her doctor confirms that an onerous and stressful trial will exacerbate her condition.

Like thousands of other women, Ms Farmer is a mother trying to survive[1] in harsh economic times. If convicted, Ms Farmer faces a seven year prison sentence and a criminal record, a major obstacle to her ever getting another job.

The Association of Chief Police Officers recently suggested New Zealand-style decriminalisation which has improved sex workers’ safety and rights. Why is that not being followed here?

Instead, safety is being undermined by prosecutions which deter sex workers from reporting violence. A gang of five men, have for several weeks, been robbing sex workers’ flats in East London. One group of women, who were threatened at knifepoint, courageously went to the police – and were promptly threatened with prosecution themselves. No action has been taken against their attackers despite good identification evidence being provided. Since then, another woman who was raped by one of the same gang has given information to the English Collective of Prostitutes but is refusing to report to the police for fear of arrest. The violence of this gang is escalating. How long before a woman is killed?

Under Proceeds of Crime law, the police keep 50% of assets confiscated during raids and 25% from subsequent prosecutions, with the Crown Prosecution Service keeping another 25%. Is this fuelling raids, arrests and prosecutions?

Sheila Farmer who is available for interview comments: ‘I believe strongly that women working as we were should be left alone. The laws are antiquated. I was earning money to pay for my cancer treatment. This moral crusade is making criminals out of women like me.’

English Collective of Prostitutes, 020 7482 2486
ecp@prostitutescollective.net www.prostitutescollective.net