Criminalising Prostitution discussion in crime.ie

[Madden2k]

http://crime.ie/20120404/prostitutio...pros-and-cons/

[Morpheus]

Wow! Excellent article Madden. Thanks for the link. The journalist Ger Leddin provides a balanced discussion betwen pro and anti escorting lobbies and points out the inaccuracies in both lobbies. However, his final conclusion is that criminalization of clients would be counter productive and that the industry should be legalized and regulated.

"A regulated sex industry in Ireland, properly controlled, with regular health check-ups and registration of sex workers should be encouraged. This situation would not as some believe lead to an increase in criminal activity but instead to a more open industry where women and or men who wish to work as prostitutes can do so freely and without sanction, protected by the law and not harassed by it. Our Minister for Justice would be better served adequately resourcing our police and immigration officers and allowing them to target the real criminals in Ireland’s sex industry, the pimps and traffickers of women and children, who amass fortunes from the victimisation of others and not wasting time and scarce resources on petty misdemeanours."


There is no question in my mind that the "Legalisation and regulation of sex work" is the ultimate model to achieve . However, I think it would be unrealistic to hope for such a model at present, especially in the current economic time - when any regulation may be shoddy and oppressive. If sex work were legalized, you can be damn sure that Ruhama and similar organisations would reinvent themselves and try to be the government appointed "regulators" of the industry!!!

Decrimalization is what we need to push for!

If funny and deceptive how Ruhama and the TORL claim they are pushing for decriminalization of escorts but only intend to criminalize clients (which is of course inately unfair and unconstutional). What is so decpetive is that escorting is legal in Ireland! The average person doesn't know this and thinks Ruhama is doing escorts a favour!!!!

[Morpheus]

I am liking this journalist Ger Leddin, more and more. I think we should keep a list of sensible friendly journalist who aren't taken in by the TORL propanganda. They may be intersted to talk to "real escorts" and may actually help our cause.

Here's more from the article:

"But the question we need to ask ourselves is this – by criminalising the buying of sex are we using a sledge hammer to crack open a nut? Alcohol misuse in Ireland causes untold suffering, is often the spark which ignites domestic violence, rape, child abuse and mental health problems. One only needs to visit any hospital emergency room on a Saturday night to see the strain alcohol abuse puts on the health system. Should we therefore criminalise the buying of alcohol? No, but what we do is regulate it, license its sale, and educate against its misuse.

By criminalising the buying of sex, the“Turn Off the Red Light” campaign seem to believe that the customers of prostitutes will suddenly realise that they are better off at home with their hot chocolate, and that this will satisfy the needs and desires that formally brought them to prostitutes, lap dance clubs and massage parlours in the first place. After their clients have had their Paulinian conversion, the highly educated and multi-skilled former prostitutes will simply take up one of the many career choices open to them, which require similar skill sets and move into less offensive professions, banking perhaps."


What he says is so true and we all know it. It refreshing to hear from a balanced journalist after all the biased reporting done by RTE and TV3.

[Morpheus]

Here he points out that the proposals by the TORL to criminalize clients will do absolutely nothing to counter trafficking and that other measures would be far more useful:


Every right thinking person agrees that the trafficking of people and keeping them in conditions of slavery in a strange land so that they are used as commodities by pimps in the sex trade is inhumane, totally wrong and that the full weight and power of both government and the judicial system should be brought to bare on the perpetrators of these crimes. But in a country whose government cannot afford to reimburse its police force for the money spent on security for last years two State visits, are we seriously expecting the gardaí to divert their manpower and resources on policing two consenting adults doing “The Business”?
The gardaí themselves will tell you off the record that money would be better spend by surgically striking the major pimps and organised crime gangs that operate across Europe and Northern Africa making large-scale profits from human trafficking, than by wasting resources on policing unenforceable laws.

According to the 2010 Annual Report of Trafficking in Human Beings in Ireland released by the Department of Justice and Equality, in that year, there were 40 total arrests made in relation to trafficking in human beings. Of these 19 (47.5%) arrests were made for alleged offences under the Criminal Law (Human Trafficking) Act, 2008, while 21 (52.5%) arrests were made for alleged offences under the Child Trafficking and Pornography Act, 1998. We cannot deny that these cases are only the ones that come to light but wasting police resources on catching the ordinary decent punter in an effort to name and shame will do nothing to ease the plight of these misfortunates who are trafficked into Ireland by international criminal gangs. Prostitution has always been with us and will remain with us so as a society we should grow up and learn to live with it.


Common sense really! Unfortunately common sense isn't so common these days!

[Stephanie]

I think I like this guy Leddin.

Morph,

Thanks for posting the article. So few people click on links, this would not have been read except for your effort xx

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[Morpheus]

I think I like this guy Leddin.

Morph,

Thanks for posting the article. So few people click on links, this would not have been read except for your effort xx

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Actually Stephanie, it was Madden2k who posted the article. I don't surf the net much for these sort of things! Usually rely on good people like the OP to post it on E-I! So we all all benefit in the end.

I think it's great that there are journalists that are sensible and see the big picture. I am sure they would be interested in talking to some "real escorts" and then writing a factual article rather than one based on presumptions of the industry, as is the usual case.

Of course any lady who speaks to a journalist does run a risk of exposing her identity but the good ones (journalists) can probably really help our cause.

Without going into details, I somehow got into contact with a journalist who wanted to portray a balanced view of the industry. However, there was a miscommunication, cause it turned out that she wanted the opinions of sex workers (which is what she thought I was) and not that of clients.

[Stephanie]

My dear Morph

He posted the Link, you posted the article

Kudos to you both xx

[the traveller]

Excellent article, thanks Madden for the link. So good to read a piece that's well balanced and not deceived by hysterical propaganda.

[DaveCrimeIE]

Hi Folks,

Dave here the owner of Crime.ie, just noticed the traffic coming from this site and I will definitely be making Ger aware of this thread.

Anyway thanks for popping over to the site, have a great weekend.

[Rachel Divine]

Hi Folks,

Dave here the owner of Crime.ie, just noticed the traffic coming from this site and I will definitely be making Ger aware of this thread.

Anyway thanks for popping over to the site, have a great weekend.

Hello and welcome. Mr Ger is very nice person over the phone, had a breve chat with him today.
Enjoy your stay.