Northern Ireland consultation on Prostitution.

[doodlebug]

Just read this on BBC website, worth noting and responding to.

Plans to change NI prostitution and trafficking laws

The bill would make it an offence to pay for sex

Parties unite to beat trafficking
Proposed changes to the laws on prostitution and human trafficking in Northern Ireland are due to go out to public consultation later.

If passed into legislation, the Human Trafficking and Exploitation Bill, proposed by the DUP's Lord Morrow, would make Northern Ireland the lead in the UK on human trafficking law.

The bill aims to enhance services for victims as well as making it an offence to pay for sexual services from a prostitute.

The consultation period ends on 18 October.

Buying or selling sex is legal across the UK, however, many activities related to prostitution, including kerb crawling, running a brothel and pimping, are all outlawed.

Lord Morrow said it was illegal to pay for sex in Northern Ireland from someone who has been coerced.

"The majority of rescued victims of trafficking in Northern Ireland are those brought here for sexual exploitation and I believe that we can do better," he said.

"For instance, in Sweden, there's a very clear message of zero tolerance for the purchase of sex that has had a clear impact on trafficking."

Other points in the Stormont bill include extending the definition of 'other exploitation' to include forced begging; defining a victim of trafficking and outlining compensation procedures for victims.

It proposes allowing courts to take aggravating factors into consideration when passing sentence.

Criminal law
The bill also aims to ensure child victims have a legal advocate to support them through the relevant criminal, immigration and compensation procedures, and provide special measures for trafficking victims if they act as witnesses.

It will also set out what assistance and civil legal services are available to victims of trafficking, and ensure no prosecution is brought for a criminal offence committed by a trafficking victim as a direct consequence of being trafficked.

Lord Morrow's bill also proposes training for police and prosecutors.

It urges the Department of Justice to produce an annual strategy on raising awareness of and reducing trafficking.

Public consultation is currently taking place in the Republic of Ireland about the future of legislation on prostitution.

It is due to be referred to an Oireachtas committee at the end of this month.

Irish Justice Minister Alan Shatter said that while there was a clear consensus on the "evils" of child prostitution and sex trafficking, there are "differing and genuinely held views" on how criminal law should deal with prostitution.

[samlad]

Thanks Doodles.

So they are thinking of implementing the Swedish model in NI now. Methinks a political agenda to win public favour more than a remedy to the actual problem.

[saoirsemac]

surprised at shanters comment there

kinda sounds like he trying to say trafficking and prostition shudnt be dealt with together

but in a round about way

retards was there not a trafficking ring found in sweden lately, quite a large one

and is there not increase of street work? which is much more dangerous and risky

and very easy to expoilt leading to more dangers for working girls


o wait we dnt matter, we are all vicitms

i love labels

i give them too, and well some folk, cant help be ignorant cunts

[doodlebug]

surprised at shanters comment there

kinda sounds like he trying to say trafficking and prostition shudnt be dealt with together

but in a round about way

retards was there not a trafficking ring found in sweden lately, quite a large one

and is there not increase of street work? which is much more dangerous and risky

and very easy to expoilt leading to more dangers for working girls


o wait we dnt matter, we are all vicitms

i love labels

i give them too, and well some folk, cant help be ignorant cunts

Shatters quote is interesting as it suggests he isn't in favour of the Swedish model and sees the distinction between trafficking and sex work!!!!

[saoirsemac]

Shatters quote is interesting as it suggests he isn't in favour of the Swedish model and sees the distinction between trafficking and sex work!!!!

if people want to label things as in sex trade has victim of trafficking, we are all victims

well swedish model http://www.thelocal.se/19102/20090427/ highest rape rate in european double the uk rate


my aunt had a saying, never mock the woman on the street she keeps u safe


not all client are rapist, but it does have a knock on effect, the swedish model as put the woman on a victim mark

she needs business, she needs to go into the darkness and shadows

how many of those rapes aint reported? double edged sword eh

but sure as long as us vicitms are safed complete and other hypocrioscary


trafficking in ireland is more prevelent in hosiptailty sector and labour

better shut down all large farms, and hotel and resturants and ban au pairs


we need to stop trafficking lets ban everything involved with it, esp the area with high numbers compare to actual figure n the sex trade

o and lets save the children too, ban all products made in asia due to hight amount of child labour and sweet shops

every corportion in the world exploits someone at some point, addias primark even high labels are made in asia

we better ban them to save child labour

mmm wat else do we need to ban to save the world?


i vote close all shops hotels farms resturants nannies etc, as there more trafficking victims n these

BAN THEM ALL sure if it saves one person its worth it

and total like solve the problem


where can i send these poilticons a gift? i have some nice crayons and colouring books

[nitram]

The late Sgt. (Lugs) Brannigan held the belief that because ladies were prepared to provide sex to those who wished to pay for it, this kept the levels of sexual crime in the capital down.
Any of Dublin's working ladies could approach him if they had a problem with either a client or pimp and he never looked down on then and would deal with the matter legally on their behalf.
When Sgt. Brannigan retired, Dublins prostitutes threw him a party and presented him with a magnificient set of Waterford Crystal, as a token of their appreciation for being a decent and fair copper, he treasured this present up till his death because it came from ordinary decent people who wanted to say thanks.

This man was a realist in his view point and many of our politicians are not worthy to polish his shoes,.

[MollyM]

I'm trying to understand this. Media says it is a bill to criminalise purchase of sex, but bill has nothing about that in it???
http://services.parliament.uk/bills/...orvictims.html

[Banjaxed]

Cross-party support for a Private Member's Bill, introduced by Unionist Lord Morrow. As well as an outright ban on the purchasing of sex, the Bill would allow:

1. Allow courts to take aggravating factors into consideration when passing sentence;
2. Extend the definition of "other exploitation" to include forced begging;
3. Define what is a victim of trafficking;
4. Introduce compensation procedures for victims;
5. Ensure child victims have a legal advocate to support them through the relevant criminal, immigration and compensation procedures;
6. Provide "special measures" for trafficking victims if they act as witnesses;
7. Set out what assistance and support as well as civil legal services are required and available to victims of trafficking;
8. Ensure no prosecution is brought for a criminal offence committed by a trafficking victim as a direct consequence of being trafficked;
9. Require training and investigative tools to be made available for police and prosecutors;
10. Require Stormont's Department of Justice to produce an annual strategy on raising awareness and reducing trafficking in human beings.

Link: http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2012...?utm_hp_ref=uk

So much for the idea of driving up the North for meetings if the Swedish model was introduced here. Knew this would happen sooner or later.

[samlad]

Cross-party support for a Private Member's Bill, introduced by Unionist Lord Morrow. As well as an outright ban on the purchasing of sex, the Bill would allow:

1. Allow courts to take aggravating factors into consideration when passing sentence;
2. Extend the definition of "other exploitation" to include forced begging;
3. Define what is a victim of trafficking;
4. Introduce compensation procedures for victims;
5. Ensure child victims have a legal advocate to support them through the relevant criminal, immigration and compensation procedures;
6. Provide "special measures" for trafficking victims if they act as witnesses;
7. Set out what assistance and support as well as civil legal services are required and available to victims of trafficking;
8. Ensure no prosecution is brought for a criminal offence committed by a trafficking victim as a direct consequence of being trafficked;
9. Require training and investigative tools to be made available for police and prosecutors;
10. Require Stormont's Department of Justice to produce an annual strategy on raising awareness and reducing trafficking in human beings.

Link: http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2012...?utm_hp_ref=uk

So much for the idea of driving up the North for meetings if the Swedish model was introduced here. Knew this would happen sooner or later.

Thanks Banjaxed,

I think point 3, "Define what is a victim of trafficking;" is something that is currently very ambiguous; for example, there are cases of which a group of escorts have been found working together and have said that they have been trafficked, then sent back to their homeland without charge, and secondly, if a sex worker has paid for services to be trafficked, are they actually a 'victim' of trafficking as such?

[the traveller]

This is why it is so important that the ladies make a submission to the committee.
One word of yours is worth a thousand of mine.