Research demonstrates that street A recent EUROPAP-UK statement "We Shouldn't sex workers experience high levels on violence reported: of violence in the course of their "Fifty women and work (Barnard, 1993; Miller, 1993; involved in are known Have to Put Up McKeganey and Barnard, 1996). In to us to have been murdered, a Sheffield study 76 per cent of unlawfully killed, or are missing prostitutes reported work-related presumed dead, since 1990. In only with This": Street violence: 35 per cent had 16 of these 50 cases do we know experienced violence on a weekly that a conviction has been secured. basis. (Pearce, 1997). Of 50 In eight of these cases, the men and of sex workers reported to convicted had previous convictions EUROPAP-UK, information about for violence, including , Violence the mode of work was available for , and . The 34 victims: 31 of these were street data suggests that men who murder workers. Church etal (2001) found sex workers frequently have a past Rosie Campbell and Hilary that location determined risk of history of violence against sex violence, with street work being the workers and others. It is therefore Kinnell argue that sex workers most dangerous and off-street hugely important that of where others were present the violence against sex workers are suffering violence on the safest. Location outweighed all investigated with the utmost streets suffer prejudicial other factors such as drug use, age diligence, and that the criminal and experience. Yet the law and law justice system, and the general attitudes in the criminal enforcement prevent those engaged public who make up juries, treat justice system. in prostitution from adopting these crimes with the seriousness strategies that would decrease their they deserve." (Kinnell, 2000) vulnerability, such as working espite growing research indoors, advertising or working | evidence, debates about together. Violence not reported There are cases that make it from D Sex workers experience a range rarely include the experiences of the street to the police to the courts, one group of women who are of violent , committed by a and have secured prosecution. particularly vulnerable to violence range of perpetrators (Pearce 1997) However much of this violence - sex workers, especially street including: passers-by, clients, drug remains unreported and this is the workers. Once we begin to dealers, partners, pimps, vigilantes major challenge for criminal justice examine these experiences we are and other working women. agencies. Non-reporting occurs for faced with what should be the Incidents reported in Liverpool many reasons including; uncomfortable reality that this (Campbell et al 1996) included violence is exacerbated by present verbal abuse and threats, physical • Belief that they will not be legal responses to prostitution, the (including attacks with taken seriously by the police social exclusion of sex workers and knives, steel bars and screw because they work in socially and historically drivers), street , rape and prostitution and will face constructed stigma which shapes (including gang censorious attitudes. rape) and abduction/kidnap. The prejudicial attitudes towards sex • Failure of the police to take such following personal testimony from workers (O'Neill, 1997). This reports seriously. a woman in Merseyside is not violence takes place within a • Fear of arrest particularly if a uncommon; criminal justice context which gives warrant is in place against them. limited protection to sex workers. "There's loads of groups of lads • Fear of reprisals from There is an urgent need for at the moment just on the beat perpetrators. authorities and agencies to respond winding us up, giving us abuse and • Belief that the courts will not more effectively to violence against that, they were throwing stones the take them seriously: despite sex workers by developing polices other day at me, we shouldn't have some recent successful sexual which reduce violence and afford to put up with this" assault cases involving them better recourse to criminal It tends to be murders of sex prostitutes, it is difficult for workers that make the headlines. women who work as prostitutes justice agencies. to gain successful convictions The data suggests that men who murder sex workers frequently(Scutt, 1994). have a past history of violence against sex workers and others.• Fear of their involvement in ft is therefore hugely important that crimes of violence against prostitution becoming public if sex workers are investigated with the utmost diligence, and the incident goes to court. that the criminal justice system, and the general public whoThere is a conflict between public make up juries, treat these crimes with the seriousness theyorder agendas which regard deserve.

12 Cjm no. 42 Winter 2000/2001 prostitution as primarily a problem involvement in multi-agency She is also presently an for the communities in which it groups, police training and the independent consultant on sex occurs and aim to reduce or development of greater contact work and sexual health. eliminate it by 'zero tolerance with sex workers. policing' (i.e., the intensive Encouragingly a number of The authors co-ordinate the enforcement of soliciting and kerb forces are already doing this EUROPAP Safety, Violence and crawling legislation), and the safety and have acknowledged that Policing Working Group. The needs of sex workers themselves). sex workers are a vulnerable group aims to raise awareness Heavy policing of street group in the community. Some amongst policy makers, the police prostitution, directed either at forces have appointed and other agencies about issues of women or their clients, drives street 'prostitution liaison officers', safety and violence in the sex activity into other places, but does non arresting officers who industry and the impact of policies not prevent it. Women who go to facilitate contact between sex and strategies on the safety and unfamiliar areas to work may worker projects and sex welfare of sex workers. encounter hostility from other workers, with an emphasis on women, and will not know which building trust and encouraging References: local clients are to be avoided. the reporting of violent Barnard,M.(1993), 'Violenceand Repressive policing of incidents to the police. Vulnerability: conditions of work prostitution deters sex workers • Co-operation and information for streetworking prostitutes', sharing between police forces of Health and from reporting crimes against them Illness,15(5), 683-705. to the police. Since it is clear and regarding known offenders, and the development of Campbell, R., Coleman, S. and evident that current policing Torkington, P. (1996), Street strategies neither eliminate national databases. Prostitution in Inner prostitution nor protect the safety • A review of Crown Prosecution Liverpool. Liverpool City Council. of those involved, a major review handling of cases Church, S., Barnard, M., Benson, of such strategies and the existing involving violence against sex C. and Hart, G, (2001), legal framework is needed. Violence Against Prostitutes workers. In 1995 the English Working from Street and Off Street Collective of Prostitutes Locations: A Three City Urgent need for policy undertook a successful private Comparison'. Centre for Drug changes prosecution against a man who Misuse, University of Glasgow, The All Party Parliamentary Group had raped two sex workers, forthcoming. on expressed highlighting concerns that the Home Office (2000) Setting the concern about the level of violence CPS was not pursuing cases Boundaries: Reforming the Law on involving sex workers. Sex Offences. The Stationery against sex workers (Matthews, Office, . 1996). The group stated that more • Highlighting concerns about Kinnell, H. (2000), EUROPAP UK should be done; the current level of sentencing Press Statement on Violence "...both to protect prostitutes in cases against perpetrators of Against Sex Workers, EUROPAP, from violence and to encourage violence against sex workers. Dept of Epidemiology and Public them to come forward to give • A review of present laws on Health, Imperial College School of evidence where appropriate." Medicine, London. prostitution recommended in McKeganey, N. and Barnard, M. Yet there has been no lead from the recent Home Office review (1996) Sex Work on the Streets: governments to develop policies of sex offences, Setting the Prostitutes and their Clients, Open and interventions that address Boundaries. University Press References. violence. The inherent dangers to Matthews, R. (ed) (1996), Report sex workers created by present law A continued failure to address the of the All Party Parliamentary and policing policies are rarely safety needs of sex workers would Group on Street Prostitution, acknowledged, far less on any London: HMSO. signify a dismissal of sex workers Miller, J. (1993), 'Your Life is on agenda for change. Public policy as second class citizens. the Line Every Night You 're on the regarding prostitution must further Streets: Victimization and the recognise and address sex workers' Rosie Campbell is Senior Resistance Among Street rights to protection under the law. Researcher at the Applied Prostitutes', Humanity and There is urgent need for action Research Centre, Liverpool HopeSociety, Vol 17, No. 4,422-446. to prevent and respond to violence University College. She has been O'Neill, M. (1997), 'Prostitute against sex workers. This should involved in carrying out applied Women Now' in Scambler, G., and Scambler A. (eds), Rethinking include: action research on commercial sexProstitution. Routledge: London. • The development of national since 1995. Hilary Kinnell is UK Pearce, J. (1997), Prostitution and guidance for police responses National Co-ordinator of the Drugs in Sheffield: Exploring the to violence against sex workers. European Network for HIV/STD Links, Middlesex University. • Improved liaison between Prevention in Prostitution Scutt (1994) 'Judicial Vision: police and agencies in direct (EUROPAP UK) and was ManagerRape, Prostitution and the Chaste Woman', Women's Studies contact with sex workers; this of the Birmingham sex work project, Safe, from 1987 to 1996. International Forum, Vol.15, 441- can be facilitated through 460.

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