‘Disastrous.’by Maya Oppenheim. 17 June 2025Labour MPs are attempting to launch the most “draconian” clampdown on sex work devised in Britain in decades, campaigners have warned.Sex workers told Novara Media that the measures proposed by Labour MP Tonia Antoniazzi could unjustly criminalise their friends and family and put prostitutes’ safety at risk.Antoniazzi, the Labour MP […]
The new Netflix docuseries shines a light on how the victims of the Long Island serial killer were treated with contempt by the police — 30 years on, and it seems very little has changedBy Brit Dawson Published: 09 April 2025 At around 5AM on May 1, 2010, Shannan Gilbert — a 23-year-old sex worker from […]
We know policing often harms sex workers. We need to talk about what it would take to change tack Jyoti Belur Ella Cockbain Policing often harms sex workers. That’s not up for debate – copious academic research and sex worker-led advocacy and research demonstrate that. But we’re not actually sure why law enforcement behaves […]
A ‘prostitute caution’ requires no evidence, merely suspicion – but stays on your record for a 100 years and blocks you from finding other work. Back in the 1980s, Amanda* worked as a sex worker in Blackpool, desperately trying to earn money for herself and her autistic son. Police were a constant menace. “Because I’m a Black […]
In advance of planned protests by Extinction Rebellion this week, Netpol is calling on the Metropolitan Police to prevent a repeat of the systemic discrimination towards disabled protesters that we documented in our report “Restricting the Rebellion” in 2019The European Convention on Human Rights, in Article 14, says the exercise of rights including freedom of […]
ECP’s Niki Adams speaking at the protest called by Women Against Rape and Women of Colour Global Women’s Strike on 6 February 2023 outside the sentencing hearing of David Carrick, a former police officer who committed numerous offences of rape and other torture against women. For more info see: The David Carrick Trial – Women Against Rape
Exclusive: ‘After the raid, a lot of the women didn’t want to return to the premises because they were so traumatised,’ sex worker says as new information obtained under FOI laws emergesMaya Oppenheim Women’s Correspondent Around seven in ten police raids reported as being linked to modern slavery and sex trafficking are not resulting in any trafficking victims being referred to support services, […]
Gergana KrastevaPolice may exploit increased powers against sex workers in east London, a campaign group has claimed.The English Collective of Prostitutes has dubbed Newham Council’s proposal for a Public Space Protection Order for Romford Road as a ‘crackdown’ on sex workers, adding it would only ‘undermine’ their safety.Such orders are commonly used to stop anti-social behaviour […]
By Bridget GaltonForty years ago, a group of sex workers and their children occupied a King’s Cross Church in protest against Police harrassment.The 12-day sit-in saw the masked women speak out in frustration at unfair laws which criminalised them while failing to protect them from violent assaults.TV crews and MPs visited the protest at Holy Cross Church […]
This autumn marks 40 years since the English Collective of Prostitutes (ECP) occupied the Church of the Holy Cross in the red-light area of King’s Cross, London, for 12 days to protest “police illegality and racism” against sex workers. The occupation took inspiration from sex workers who in 1975 occupied churches across France following […]