Legal cases Archives - English Collective of Prostitutes https://prostitutescollective.net/category/legal-cases/ Since 1975, the English Collective of Prostitutes has been campaigning for the abolition of the prostitution laws which criminalize sex workers and our families, and for economic alternatives and higher benefits and wages. Sat, 09 Aug 2025 09:41:01 +0000 en-GB hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 https://prostitutescollective.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/favicon-260-x-260-150x150.png Legal cases Archives - English Collective of Prostitutes https://prostitutescollective.net/category/legal-cases/ 32 32 Withdrawal of charges against two women prosecuted for brothel-keeping https://prostitutescollective.net/successful-withdrawal-of-case-against-two-women-prosecuted-for-brothel-keeping/ Fri, 10 Jan 2020 00:15:00 +0000 http://prostitutescollective.net/?p=10900 In September 2019, two Brazilian women, Ms O and Ms R, were working together in a flat for safety when they were raided by the police. The police confiscated their phones, ID, and money totaling around £1000 (without leaving a receipt). They were initially charged with brothel-keeping. The ECP organised informal translation from a woman […]

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]]> Victory, local community comes to the defence of sex worker https://prostitutescollective.net/victory-local-community-comes-to-the-defence-of-sex-worker/ Wed, 20 Jun 2018 20:12:46 +0000 http://prostitutescollective.net/?p=7448 A sex worker received a letter from someone claiming to be a local mother. The letter outed her as a sex worker, threatened to inform her family about her job, accused her (wrongly) of running a brothel and threatened to report her to the police, included transphobic hate speech against her partner and threatened to drive […]

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]]> Update: ECP latest cases https://prostitutescollective.net/ecp-cases-update/ Mon, 08 Jan 2018 17:53:37 +0000 http://prostitutescollective.net/?p=6898 The English Collective of Prostitutes gives help and advice to sex workers fighting criminal charges, civil orders, and in trying to get justice against violence. The criminalisation of sex work makes it harder for sex workers to work safely by forcing us to work in isolation. Frequently women come to the ECP complaining that the […]

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]]> Forced to resign from NHS job after allegations of advertising on adult websites https://prostitutescollective.net/forced-resign-nhs-job-allegations-advertising-services-adult-websites/ Sat, 27 Aug 2016 18:26:11 +0000 http://prostitutescollective.net/?p=6667 In 2015, a woman working for an NHS Trust was forced to resign under threat of immediate dismissal for “behaving in a manner that would not be acceptable in any situation” and “bringing the Trust into disrepute” following allegations that she advertised services on adult websites. Ms Molloy was a dedicated employee of the Trust […]

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]]> Arrested illegally because friend was carrying condoms https://prostitutescollective.net/arrested-illegally-because-friend-was-carrying-condoms/ Mon, 01 Jun 2015 12:58:00 +0000 http://prostitutescollective.net/?p=4672 In May 2015, a Romanian woman was arrested for loitering for the purposes of prostitution while walking down a road in North London with a friend. The reason given by police for the arrest was that her friend was carrying condoms. She wanted to contest the charge because she wasn’t working at the time so […]

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]]> Fighting raids and closures in Mayfair https://prostitutescollective.net/fighting-raids-and-closures-in-mayfair/ Sun, 14 Dec 2014 22:48:00 +0000 https://prostitutescollective.net/?p=14960 Sex workers in Mayfair have been part of the ECP's network since 2009 when police raided flats without warrants, bullying and threatening prosecution.  In the same year, Westminster Council threatened women with closure of the flats under planning law on the grounds that they were residential properties being used for a business. Then a few […]

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]]> Mass police raids against sex workers in the name of anti-trafficking https://prostitutescollective.net/mass-police-raids-against-sex-workers-in-the-name-of-anti-trafficking/ Sun, 19 Jan 2014 13:57:35 +0000 http://prostitutescollective.net/?p=4668 In December 2013, 250 police raided sex worker’s flats in Soho (central London). Over 20 flats were closed and women were handcuffed and dragged in their underwear onto the streets. The ECP and Soho Working Girls organised intensively against the closures, getting legal advice and publicising the injustice of the raids. 18 of the 20 […]

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]]> Banned from loitering in her home borough for 26 years https://prostitutescollective.net/banned-from-loitering-in-her-home-borough-for-26-years/ Fri, 26 Jul 2013 12:58:02 +0000 http://prostitutescollective.net/?p=4670 In 2013, a sex worker challenged charges of having breached an Anti-social Behaviour Order (ASBO) banning her for 26 years from loitering in the London borough where she lives. With the support of the ECP which mounted a public campaign and helped her prepare for court, she was found not guilty! If she had been […]

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]]> Guilty of wanting to be safe https://prostitutescollective.net/guilty-of-wanting-to-be-safe/ Wed, 13 Mar 2013 13:57:11 +0000 http://prostitutescollective.net/?p=4666 In January 2012, Sheila Farmer was prosecuted for keeping/ managing a brothel (SOA 2003). Ms Farmer became a single mother at aged 23. With great difficulty she trained and got work as a computer programmer but after she lost her eyesight and developed a brain tumour as a result of childhood diabetes, she turned to […]

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]]> Pensioner prosecuted for keeping women safe https://prostitutescollective.net/pensioner-prosecuted-for-keeping-women-safe/ Fri, 01 Jun 2012 12:56:40 +0000 http://prostitutescollective.net/?p=4664 In 2011, a 72 year old woman was charged with “keeping/managing a brothel” (SOA 2003) and money laundering. Despite a woman working in the flat confirming that she was there for her safety, the jury at Luton Crown Court found her guilty on both counts. It came out in court that she was the sole […]

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