Scottish Government delayed prostitution law change to avoid row with Greens,
2024-03-11
elrond
In the ongoing discourse surrounding sex work legislation, the Green Party stands out for its commitment to progressive policies aimed at safeguarding the rights and well-being of sex workers. Maggie Chapman, the Scottish Greens spokesperson for justice, equality, and human rights, has been a vocal advocate for this cause, shedding light on the dangers inherent in approaches like that advocated b .....
Violence against sex workers ‘a daily reality’, 20 years after Emma Caldwell murder
2024-03-04
elrond
Of the 585 reports of violence received by the charity (National Ugly Mugs) in 2023, only 11% felt safe enough with support to make a full report to police and only 45% consented to provide anonymous intelligence.
“We all know that predators target sex workers because they can do so with impunity,” says Bowen. “Sex workers are rarely believed.”
She adds: &l .....
Emma Caldwell let down by policing, force admits after killer finally convicted
2024-03-01
elrond
Police Scotland apologized for failures in handling the case of murdered sex worker Emma Caldwell and other victims of her killer, Iain Packer, in 2005. Packer, aged 51, was found guilty of Caldwell's murder and 11 charges of rape against nine women, among other offenses. The police acknowledged shortcomings in their investigation. Caldwell, 27, disappeared in Glasgow in April 2005, and her b .....
Caldwell murder accused told police he lied about knowing her
2024-02-04
elrond
Accused of murdering a sex worker, Iain Packer confessed to police that he had taken her to the area where she was found dead multiple times. Packer, 50, provided a witness statement at Cathcart Police Station in 2007, after previously doing so in 2006. Detective David Barr, now retired, testified at the High Court in Glasgow, where Packer faces 46 charges related to the murder of Emma Caldwell i .....
Emma Caldwell murder accused 'attacked' her
2024-01-25
elrond
In a harrowing testimony, a woman has recalled a traumatic ordeal, alleging she was attacked in a van by the suspect linked to the Emma Caldwell murder case, describing the experience as a desperate flight for survival.
Appearing before the High Court in Glasgow, the woman, now in her 40s and a former sex worker, detailed an incident dating back to the early 2000s. She claimed to have been p .....
Human Trafficking Trio Behind Bars After Police Scotland Operation
2024-01-25
elrond
In a decisive blow against human trafficking, specialist officers apprehended Florea Sandu, 53, Florian Pietraru, 41, and Teodora Rotaru, 28, during a raid on a flat in Motherwell in April 2021. The arrests were a culmination of a meticulous investigation led by Police Scotland's Human Trafficking Unit.
Facing charges, the trio didn't contest their guilt, admitting their involvement .....
Caldwell murder accused wore women’s underwear, court told
2024-01-20
elrond
In a dramatic turn of events at the High Court in Glasgow, a sex worker has come forward to identify murder accused Iain Packer, 50, as a patron who allegedly wore black, silky women's underwear and treated women roughly. Packer is currently on trial for the 2005 murder of sex worker Emma Caldwell, among 46 charges, including sex crimes, abduction, and assault.
Packer vehemently denies a .....
Caldwell murder accused threatened teenager for alleging abuse
2024-01-18
elrond
Iain Packer, the accused in a murder trial at the High Court in Glasgow, allegedly attempted to strangle a woman and threatened a child who accused him of sexual abuse, according to court testimony.
Packer, aged 50, faces multiple charges, including the murder of Emma Caldwell in 2005 and various sex crimes, abduction, and assault. He denies all charges and has asserted special defences, inc .....
Trial of Iain Packer for the murder of Emma Caldwell
2024-01-18
elrond
Nearly two decades after the tragic murder of Emma Caldwell, the accused, Iain Packer, is now on trial for the heinous crime. Packer is charged with strangling Ms. Caldwell, with the alleged intent to rape her, leading to her murder in Limefield Woods, Biggar, on April 5, 2005.
Iain Packer, aged 50, is confronting a total of 46 charges related to 27 women and four males, spanning from 1990 t .....
Scottish crackdown on illicit brothels
2023-12-29
elrond
Police Scotland is set to enlist the support of officers from Romania as part of an initiative aimed at aiding women who have fallen victim to sex trafficking.
The initiative has received backing from the Home Office and the Romanian Embassy in London, which will facilitate the temporary deployment of two Romanian officers for a six-month period, commencing on January 8.
This developmen .....