The Overlooked Victims: Sex Workers and the Flawed Nordic Model
2024-12-28
elrond
Violence against women is a pressing issue, yet one group remains largely overlooked: sex workers. Laws criminalizing the purchase of sex, like those in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, are intended to combat human trafficking. However, evidence suggests these laws, based on the Nordic Model, are ineffective and even detrimental.
Despite a 2015 law criminalizing the purchase of .....
MSP to ban the purchase of sex.
2024-10-08
elrond
Scotland is on the brink of a significant change in its prostitution laws. A bill proposed by Alba MSP Ash Regan aims to criminalize those who pay for sex and profit from prostitution, adopting the so-called "Nordic Approach."
Regan's bill has garnered substantial cross-party support, increasing its chances of becoming law. She believes this is a crucial step in protecting vic .....
Scottish Brothels Case Spurs Calls for Tougher Penalties on Sex Buyers
2024-07-02
elrond
The recent sentencing of Xiao Min, 38, Qin Huang, 31, and Guolei Huang, 35, for their involvement in sex-for-sale flats in Glasgow and Edinburgh has reignited debate on how to address the demand for paid sex. The trio, jailed for over 20 years collectively, trafficked women from East Asia into brothels across the UK, prompting calls for stricter laws against men who seek to pay for sex.
An i .....
Three traffickers jailed
2024-07-02
elrond
Three individuals involved in managing sex-for-sale apartments where trafficked women worked have been sentenced to over 20 years in prison collectively. Xiao Min, 38, Qin Huang, 31, and Guolei Huang, 35, were apprehended during Operation Fasthold, a joint investigation by Police Scotland and the Home Office.
The criminal network exploited women, primarily from East Asia, forcing them into p .....
Scots oppose Scottish Government.
2024-06-05
elrond
Ministers are being urged to abandon their "extremist" proposals to overhaul prostitution laws after a new poll revealed that the majority of Scots oppose the SNP Government’s stance on decriminalising the selling of sex.
The Government's plan, which would criminalise the buying of sex, follows the Nordic model. This model is already implemented in countries like Sweden, .....
Julie Bindel is Still around
2024-04-03
elrond
Arrrgh. This came up in my time line. Julie Bindel on why Sex Work is Bullshit. I hadn't heard Julie for several years now, I thought she had disappeared, but no she is going strong on her pet project, the extinction of Sex Work.
Watch at your peril, this is a Trigger Warning.
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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 .....
Residents of Aberdeen have voiced concerns about the presence of sex workers in their community
2024-02-24
elrond
Residents of Aberdeen have voiced concerns about the presence of sex workers in their community, particularly in Fraser House, an area increasingly populated by short-term rentals like Airbnbs. During a recent licensing hearing, these concerns were brought up, but unfortunately, lacked substantial evidence to sway council decisions.
Among the accusations were claims of sex workers frequentin .....