???????????? CHAPTER ONE: PROSTITUTION Prostitution Information from Politics.co.uk What is prostitution? The Policing and Crime Bill, organised crime, poverty, drugs, child Prostitution describes the offering introduced to the Commons in abuse and people trafficking. and provision of sexual services for December 2008, creates a new offence Virtual imprisonment has become financial gain. of paying for sex with someone who a particular problem in recent In the UK, prostitution itself is is controlled for gain and introduces years, notably since the fall of the not illegal but there are a number of new powers to close brothels; it Iron Curtain and the break-up offences linked to it. For example it also modifies the law on soliciting. of Yugoslavia. There has been an is an offence to control a prostitute Following a Second Reading in increase in the ‘white slave trade’ from for gain, or to keep a brothel. January 2009, the bill was sent to a Eastern Europe and Russia, along Prostitution has a close affinity Public Bill Committee for scrutiny, due with a general influx of organised with a host of other important social to be completed in February 2009*. crime, with many women thought to issues, in particular crime, drugs, be living as virtual slaves. sexual equality, poverty and health. Controversies Because prostitutes have large Although there are exceptions, As with all matters of sexuality, numbers of sexual partners, they most prostitutes are women selling prostitution continues to be debated are more likely to have sexually their services to men. on both social and moral levels. transmitted infections and be vectors Opponents of prostitution and moral for spreading these infections – Background conservatives believe the practice is adding a public health dimension to Prostitution is sometimes referred to intrinsically morally corrupt and a the debate. as ‘the oldest profession’, as it meets challenge to family values, therefore The Government says it wants to the natural urges of humans in return regarding a ban to be justified in reduce prostitution in the UK and, as for money, and is often claimed to be the name of public morality. Many some say legal controls are too blunt as old as civilisation itself. religious groups adopt this position, a tool, is trying to establish what The legal regulation of prostitution adding another aspect to the debate. policies would work. For example, in the UK was set out in the Sexual However, many who regard in- in 2002 the Government made a Offences Act 1956, which reflected the volvement in prostitution as a matter total of £850,000 available for groups findings of the Wolfenden Committee of private morality still argue for legal working in a multi-agency context investigation into prostitution and regulation. to implement local strategies for homosexuality that took place around Prostitution’s quasi-criminal status reducing prostitution-related crime that time. has led it to be closely associated with and disorder. The Wolfenden Committee treated prostitution and its status in the law as a moral issue and this was reflected in the text of the Act. This led to famous debates between Lord Devlin and the philosopher Herbert Hart. In late 2003 the Home Office Illustration: Angelo Madrid announced its intention to review the Selling Sex laws on prostitution with the aim of p1 overhauling the dated regulations of the 112 x 78mm 1956 Act. Subsequently amendments relating to prostitution were made under the Sexual Offences Act 2003 with regard to the following offences; “causing or inciting pros-titution for gain’, ‘controlling prostitution for gain’, ‘penalties for keeping a brothel used for prostitution’ and ‘extension of gender specific prostitution offences’. Issues www.independence.co.uk 1 ??????????? Some argue that licensed brothels from prostitutes’. greater risk of disease. We will seek would help to ensure worker safety, And Shadow Justice Minister, amendments.’ keep them off the streets, help prevent Henry Bellingham stated, ‘We do Liberal Democrat Home Affairs spokesman health problems, bring revenue to not in any way want to stand up for Chris Huhne, Commons debate – January the Treasury and remove the need the people who feel they have to, in 2009 for exploitative and abusive pimps. unfortunate circumstances, go and ‘JUSTICE has not taken a position However, many others find this use prostitutes. We are concerned, on the morality of prostitution but morally repugnant. however, about bringing in credible we believe that – as in the case of The murders of five prostitutes in law that will stand the test of being controlled drugs – while it is possible Ipswich in November and December put through the courts.’ that legal prohibition may deter some 2006 reignited calls for a new men from using prostitutes, many approach to tackling the issue. Statistics others – in particular those with less a There are estimated to be around respect for the law in general – will 80,000 people involved in pros- not be so deterred.’ titution in the UK. Human rights organisation JUSTICE, There are estimated a Research by the Poppy project briefing on second Commons reading of to be around 80,000 identified 1500 establishments Policing and Crime Bill – January 2009 people involved in involved in the off-street sex prostitution in the UK industry in London alone. ‘Kerb crawling fuels the exploitation a The prostitution market in the of women by indirectly supporting UK is calculated to be worth up drug-dealers and abusers. If you to £1bn, with estimates of the frequent prostitutes, you could be In November 2008 the Home proportion of UK men paying for contributing to the violence and Office published the findings of a six sex ranging from 4.3% to 11%. abuse these women already face, often month review into how the demand Source: Home Office review ‘Tackling the against their will.’ for prostitution could be reduced. Demand for Prostitution’ – November homeoffice.gov.uk – 2009 Home Secretary Jacqui Smith, in 2008. ‘We oppose the government’s pro- a foreword to the review, stated: If convicted of kerb crawling you posals which would create new ‘So far, little attention has been could face: offences relating to: 1) paying for focused on the sex buyer, the person a a £1000 fine sex, 2) brothel keeping, and 3) kerb responsible for creating the demand a losing your driving licence crawling. It is clear that the intention for prostitution markets. And it is a exposure of your habits to family, is to target anyone involved in time for that to change.’ friends and work colleagues prostitution whether or not there is But Government plans to create If convicted of paying for sex with force or coercion. ‘ a new law under the Policing and someone who is under 18, you could ‘As the economic recession hits, Crime Bill making it an offence to face life imprisonment. many more women are likely to resort pay for sex with someone who is Source: homeoffice.gov.uk – 2009. ‘controlled by another for gain’ is to prostitution to feed themselves causing particularly controversy. Even Quotes and their families; if prostitution is forced further underground by these if the person paying for sex is unaware ‘There will be no more excuses for measures the risks they are forced to that the prostitute is trafficked or those who pay for sex. This new take will be greater.’ controlled by a pimp, they will still be criminal offence of paying for sex with English Collective of Prostitutes – October liable for prosecution and if convicted someone who is trafficked or pimped 2008 will be given a criminal record and a will apply even if the buyer claims he fine of up to £1000. did not know the woman was being * Scotland has a separate Parliament The Bar Council has warned that controlled for gain. and legal system and so have different the offence as currently drafted risks ‘I also want to tackle kerb crawling. legislation around street prostitution. The convictions that may be seen as unfair In my book, once around the block is Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982 by reasonable people and that such once too many, and so I’m making kerb- covers those ‘selling sex’ in public and the convictions would bring the criminal crawling punishable as a first offence. Prostitution (Public Places) (Scotland) Act law into disrepute, particularly given I also want to see more naming and 2007 covers those ‘buying sex’ in public. the stigma that would result. shaming of persistent kerb crawlers.’ The Policing & Crime Bill will not apply Concerns have also been raised Home Secretary Jacqui Smith, Home to Scotland. by several MPs including the Labour Office press release – November 2008 chair of the Home Affairs Select Committee, Keith Vaz, who said that ‘We entirely agree with the objective, a The above information is re- he was ‘not convinced that the best but the proposed reforms will not printed with kind permission from course of action is to prosecute in achieve the desired outcome. They Politics.co.uk. Visit www.politics. the proposed way men who go into will drive sex workers underground, co.uk for more information. situations where they wish to buy sex into less safety, more isolation and a © Adfero Issues www.independence.co.uk 2 ???????????? Prostitution: a summary A briefing from the Fawcett Society Prostitution in the UK health outreach provision for a An estimated 80,000 people work women in the sex industry at all. in prostitution in the UK. Logo a Most services currently provided a 9% of men in the UK have paid for women in prostitution focus for sex, and 4.2% have done so in on their sexual health, rather the last five years.