Dulcie Lee Risks grow as police closures force sex workers to rent Airbnb and other short-term properties The growth of “pop-up brothels” in Airbnb and other short-term properties is to be investigated by MPs. The all-party parliamentary group on prostitution will launch an inquiry on Monday after reports of temporary brothels springing up across the […]
See open letter here: Demand police prioritise the protection of sex workers over the prosecution for prostitution offences.BACKGROUND INFORMATION On 24 June, Maria Benito [not her real name] called the police after being robbed at knifepoint by five men while working with other women in a flat in Enfield.When officers attended the incident, Ms Benito […]
We write to protest the police treatment of a victim of armed robbery who was working as a sex worker when she was attacked. (Crime ref: 5214132/17).Ms Maria Benito [not her real name] was working in a flat in Enfield when five men broke in with knives and robbed her and other women. As soon […]
Lilith Brouwers – 2017Legal status of sex work:There are multiple laws that criminalise or limit sex work in Sweden, the most well-known of which is the 1999 Sexköpslag (Sex Purchase Law). This legislation criminalised the purchase, or attempt to purchase, casual sexual services in exchange for any kind of compensation including alcohol, gifts, meals, or […]
Each year hundreds of sex workers are arrested, raided, prosecuted and even imprisoned under the prostitution laws.The bulletin below documents some of the cases which have been compiled by women in the ECP network from the media and other sources. These figures are in no way comprehensive, the cautioning, arrest and prosecution of street based […]
By Joel HellewellI’m going to use the term woman/women in prostitution even if it is a bit clunky, since it is hopefully tolerable to both sides of the debate. I have never sold sex, so I cannot speak to the experiences of women that have. I hope that what comes through is a genuine desire […]
By Joel Hellewell This post is a response to the “meme” created by Nordic Model Now, claiming that the rate of sexual assault in New Zealand has increased since 2003, primarily because of the decriminalisation of prostitution in the Prostitution Reform Act 2003. Link to the meme: https://nordicmodelnow.org/2016/08/11/meme-about-new-zealand-since-the-full-decriminalisation-of-the-sex-trade/ The first thing to do to the […]
Stella Winter is a sex worker and the mother of two children. She volunteers with the English Collective of Prostitutes. During the 15 or so years I worked as a sex worker, I estimate that two out of three of the other working women I met were mums. Of course, this isn’t surprising considering 90 […]
By The English Collective of ProstitutesA motion will be put to the vote at the TUC Congress today, proposed by ASLEF the train drivers’ union and supported by the GMB, calling for “decriminalisation of sex work” and demanding the same rights for sex workers as other workers.The motion recognises sex workers as workers who should […]
Calls made for a ‘New Zealand-style’ approach which offers sex workers legal protection but concerns remain over ‘exploitation’Lizzy Buchan and Harriet Agerholm Political CorrespondentUnion leaders will vote on whether to back efforts to decriminalise prostitution to offer greater protection to sex workers.Calls have been made for a ‘New Zealand-style’ approach where sex workers are offered full legal protection amid […]