In Northern Ireland, police have launched an investigation into a sex trafficking ring which exploited several women who were brought to the country illegally. As part of their inquiries they plan to speak with 15 men who paid for sex with the trafficking victims.
“Detective Superintendent Philip Marshall said there were currently five investigations into organised crime gangs forcing women into prostitution. He said fifteen men would be targeted in an attempt to deter them from using such services. He said the words “clients” or “punters” should in fact be replaced with “exploiters, or dare I say it, rapists”.
He said the UK sex industry had moved in recent years from the street corner to private rental accommodation and hotels.”
CURB urges the Trinidad and Tobago Government to proclaim the Trafficking In Persons Act No. 14 of 2011. We look forward to seeing similar proactive policing from our local and regional law enforcement officials to deter persons from continuing to provide the demand for sex trafficking services. These range from prostitution to pornography, lewd dancing, sensual massages and escort services.
In many of our Latin American and Caribbean jurisdictions, such action would need to be coupled with strict regulation of activities such as massage parlours and escort services as well as the weeding out of corrupt law enforcement officers from the ranks of the respective police services.
Due to the shift from street prostitution to indoor venues, it is important that landlords and hotel operators to be held accountable for illegal activities such as human trafficking which occur on their premises, whether rented out to others or not.
In much the same way as certain categories of individuals are required by law to report any suspicions of child sexual abuse, such proprietors must also be encouraged or required by law to report to law enforcement officials any and all activities occurring on their leased or otherwise tenanted premises which may be related to illegal activities such as prostitution or human trafficking.
Hospitality establishments as well as landlords may also benefit from exposure to information and training to enable them to more accurately understand the dynamics of human trafficking and the red flags associated with possible instances of the crime and the identification of possible victims.
BBC News – PSNI to visit men who paid for sex with trafficked women.
January 11, 2012
curbcrime
