Lords to debate prostitution law change

The Christian Institute has welcomed the Government’s plans to tighten the law on prostitution, due to be debated by the House of Lords on Wednesday, 1 July, as part of the Policing and Crime Bill.

Under new measures designed to deal with the problem of sex trafficking anyone caught buying from a prostitute who had been subjected to force, deception or threats would be guilty of a criminal offence.

Colin Hart, Director of The Christian Institute, said: “Thousands of girls are being trafficked into the UK every year to be forced into prostitution by people who know they can make money from them. This will continue until the demand for prostitutes is cut.

“We believe that the Government’s latest proposals will go some way towards turning the tide on trafficking by deterring people from purchasing sex.

“However, we regret that measures dealing with the selling of sex are to be relaxed. Properly funded drug treatment orders are needed instead of the Bill’s cut price counselling. Prostitution is inherently harmful. Nine in ten prostitutes say they want to get out of the trade but can’t.”

The statistics on prostitution in the UK are shocking:

* Statistics from the ‘Crime and Disorder associated with Prostitution Initiative’ showed that 93% of prostitutes were using non-prescribed drugs, including 88% using heroin.

* More than half of UK prostitutes have been raped or suffered indecent assault and three quarters have experienced physical violence.

* Over half the prostitutes involved in one study said that they had feared for their lives at least once.

* An international study published in the Journal of Trauma Practice found that 68% of prostitutes met the criteria for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, with symptoms as severe as victims of torture.

* The same study shows that nine in ten prostitutes want to escape prostitution but feel unable to do so.

* An estimate from 2008 suggested that up to 18,000 females, including girls as young as 14, have been trafficked into UK brothels to meet the rising demand for prostitutes. This would mean almost 23% of prostitutes are trafficked.

Read more: https://www.christian.org.uk/issues/2009/prostitution/briefing_jun09.pdf