Sex workers face a lot of violence. Sex workers in London are 12 times more likely to be murdered than other women. It is much safer to work indoors with others but this is illegal.
Criminalisation increases violence. Attacks on sex workers doubled in Scotland after kerb crawling laws were introduced which criminalised clients. A 2014 survey found that where arrests of sex workers and clients were high, only 5% of sex workers who were victims of a crime reported it. This compared to 46% of victims in areas where police adopted a harm reduction approach.
It is a tragedy that it has taken the murders of countless sex workers, including five young women in Ipswich and three women in Bradford in the last few years, for the police to suggest that the prostitution laws are not ‘fit for purpose’ and that New Zealand type decriminalisation should be considered. New Zealand successfully […]
Ms Morris says “I would like to thank everyone who gave their support, either in body or spirit, for my court case on 4 February. It is gratefully appreciated. This is a harrowing time for my family and I, but we are strengthened by knowing that people’s thoughts are with us. The case has been adjourned till […]
In February 2011, Ms Lorraine Morris was convicted for “keeping/managing a brothel (SOA 2003). Ms Morris was arrested after she dialled 999 to report a serious attack on a woman in a flat used by her escort agency. Two identifiable men, one with a sawn-off shotgun up his sleeve, threw petrol about, threatening to torch […]
A police force has denied a four-year crackdown on kerb-crawlers has made sex workers more vulnerable to attack by forcing them to move on to other areas.Of the 52 men arrested for kerb-crawling in east Bournemouth in 2006, 18 were charged compared with the 17 arrests and a single charge last year.English Collective of Prostitutes […]
On Wednesday 23 June, Hanna Morris was charged with managing / keeping a brothel after she reported a serious attack. She faces up to seven years in prison. Her colleague is charged with assisting in the management of a brothel and her partner who had nothing to do with the business, is charged with handling criminal […]
By Andy McFarlanePolice searches evoked memories of the Yorkshire Ripper murdersThe discovery of the remains of a woman – sparking police searches in Bradford’s red light district – has brought back chilling memories of the 1970s.Back then, it took six years to find and convict Peter Sutcliffe, the Yorkshire Ripper, for killing 13 women – […]
A man has been charged with the murder of three women in Bradford. When will sex workers’ safety be prioritised? The discovery of a woman’s body, now confirmed to be that of Suzanne Blamires, has focussed press attention on the disappearances of three women in Bradford. Stephen Griffiths has been charged with their murder. Our […]
Preventing sex workers operating together makes them more vulnerable to attack – we need a more pragmatic approachThe laws governing sex for sale are clear – it is legal for one person to sell sex to another as long as elements including soliciting, trafficking, coercion and under-18s are not involved. However, if sex workers operate […]
A malicious prosecution with a happy ending. On Thursday 29 April 2010, in Luton Crown Court, Claire Finch was found NOT GUILTY of a criminal charge of keeping a brothel. The jury, in line with public opinion, refused to criminalise Ms Finch for working together with friends from her own home for safety. Ms Finch, her friends […]
Government accused of driving women on to the streets by cracking down on high-class escort agencies, reports Robert VerkaikTheirs is a world away from grubby net curtains and phone box calling cards. They offer dinner dates, online credit card bookings, intelligent conversation and companionship – and perhaps an illicit rendezvous in a stylish apartment for […]