UK P4P News

A Closure Order against a flat in Tisbury Court, Soho, was thrown out of court this morning. District Judge Barrie found that insufficient steps had been taken to contact the owner of the premises.

This decision is in contrast to the rulings of District Judge Susan Williams who presided over approximately ten other closure order cases against Soho flats over the last two weeks. She seemed determined to approve the closures regardless of the evidence or lack of it.

The Closure Orders came about from police raids on premises on 4 December when over 200 officers broke down doors, put women out on the street and boarded up the flats. All the other flats remain closed.

Cari Mitchell from the English Collective of Prostitutes commented:

We were in court to witness every case where sex workers gave evidence about their situation. We saw that Judge Williams was strikingly biased in favour of the police. She disregarded evidence from sex workers who bravely came forward to explain that they worked independently and were not being controlled. We are encouraged by this victory and we strongly urge women whose flats have been closed to appeal. To deprive mothers and grandmothers of their livelihood, particularly at Christmas, is cruel and sadistic. Haven't the police got better things to do to protect women and girls from rape and sexual assault than to target women working consensually?

Actor Rupert Everett, who was in court for two of the cases, described the closure orders as a land grab . This is in reference to local concerns that the closures of sex workers' flats aim to evict the original population of Soho to gentrify this historic area. Last week, a decision approving Soho Estates' massive Walkers Court development was waved through by Westminster Council planning committee despite many objections, including from the Soho Society which represents most of the residents and businesses and from English Heritage.

I have worked as a sex worker in at least ten different flats in Soho over the last six years. To my great fortune I wasn't there on Wednesday 4 December when 200 police raided the walk-up flats.

I saw that Met Police Commander Alison Newcomb said the raids were not about the prosecution of prostitutes but to to close brothels where we have evidence of very serious crimes happening, including rape and human trafficking . I say to her: show us the victims. I haven't heard of one arrest for rape or trafficking. Instead some of my friends were held for 23 hours and bullied into accepting cautions for criminal offences. Other women I know were taken to a place of safety despite them saying that they weren't being forced to work.

Westminster Council backed the raids saying it aimed to help any vulnerable woman and that their safety is paramount . If the aim was to help victims, why did the police break down doors and handcuff women while they searched premises? Why did they bring the media with them , which then published photos identifying women?

Soho is one of the safest places to work. This action will force women out onto the street where it is 10 times more dangerous. Most of the women who have been evicted are mothers and grandmothers who have now lost their livelihood.

Closure orders against sex workers' flats are trundling their way through court. One was granted yesterday and approximately seven more are scheduled over the next two weeks. Meanwhile the flats remain closed. In order to get a closure order, the police have to show that prostitution offences are being committed on the premises, namely causing and inciting prostitution and controlling prostitution . Two women gave evidence yesterday to say that they were working independently, found out about the job from a friend, or by knocking on the door of the flat and asking for a job, that they decided which days they would work, could turn down clients and --- crucially --- far from being controlled by a maid, they wanted to work with her because she helped protect them from attack. Police evidence said that normal employment practices such as being required to work certain days of the week, between certain times, charge a specific amount of money for each service (which the police say is treating the sex worker as a commodity rather than a human ) all adds up to us being controlled. We take great offence at this. Does what we say about our own situation not matter?

I am terrified that if I get caught up in a police raid, it will come out what I do for a living. Can you believe that the police who claim to have our interests at heart went to the home of one of the women arrested during those raids, and told her daughter what she did? Vindictive!

Evictions and closures of sex workers' flats are opposed by many other Soho residents and businesses because they feel that if the girls go, the whole character of the historic area will change. It is this unique, diverse and tolerant community -- immigrant, LGBTQ venues, small independent businesses, theatres -- which attracts many visitors from around the world. The raids, like the bedroom tax and benefit cap, are socially cleansing Soho for the super-rich.

The Prostitutes collective writes:

A massive six-story development with an airport like lounge and heliport is being proposed at Walkers Court in the heart of Soho. The decision on this development is taking place at Westminster Council planning committee on Tuesday 10 December .

A development of this kind will change the very character of the area, wreck the lively diverse community there and lead to the eviction of sex workers from walk-up flats. Residents and small independent business will be particularly affected.

Possibly connected to this development, 200 police raided and closed 20 flats in Soho on the evening of 4 December. Both the police and Westminster Council claim that the action was to save victims of trafficking. None of the women we are in touch are trafficked and they feel strongly that this is being used as an excuse to target them. Women are now fighting to defend their rights to work in safety and support their families.

The raids, like the bedroom tax and benefit cap, are socially cleansing Soho for the super rich.

Please take action now:

• Before Tuesday 10 December, write to the Head of the Planning Committee Robert Davis rdavis@westminster.gov.uk with your objections.
• Join us at the planning committee meeting on Tuesday 10 December 6.30pm at City Hall, 17th floor, 64 Victoria Street, SW1E 6PQ to demonstrate your objections.
• Sign the petition to stop the eviction and prosecution of sex workers.

Petition: Don't Rip the Heart out of Soho

Sign the  petition from  gopetition.com

Sex workers are an integral part of Soho and have the support of many other residents and businesses in the area.

Sex workers make an important contribution to the local economy.

Evictions and closures the flats of sex workers would change the character of Soho, which attracts many people worldwide.

Many working girls and maids are mothers and grandmothers earning to support their families.

If women are evicted they will lose their livelihood and may end up working on their own or on the street -- both of which are much more dangerous.

The evictions are to make way for the Walkers Court and other development which most of Soho is opposed to.

Petition: We the undersigned demand:

• Stop the Walkers Court development.
• Stop the evictions & prosecutions of sex workers and maids.
• Stop the destruction of Soho.

Sign the  petition

Over 25 sex workers' flats in Soho, Central London were raided by police last night (4 December). Police broke down doors, slapped closure notices on the doors of premises and threw women out onto the street. Some immigrant women were taken into custody on the pretext that they may be victims of trafficking, despite their protestations that they were not being forced to work. Other women were given papers instructing them to appear in court today and tomorrow (5 and 6 December).

Cari Mitchell from the English Collective of Prostitutes commented:

It is outrageous that the police are raiding premises where women are working together safely and collectively with friends. The police must know that some women will end up working on the street as a result, where it is much more dangerous. Most of the women thrown out of premises are mothers and grandmothers who have now lost their livelihood.

Evictions and closure of the flats of sex workers are opposed by many other local residents and businesses because they feel that if the Soho girls go the whole character of Soho will change. It is this unique, diverse and tolerant community -- immigrant, LGBTQ clubs, small independent businesses, theatre --- which attracts many visitors from around the world. People fear that the evictions are aimed at making way for large scale development, like the one proposed in Walkers Court, which most residents are against.

Police Scotland has written to the city council arguing that if it grants licences for five saunas it should be on condition that no condoms and items of a sexual nature are allowed on the premises.

Sex workers' charity Scot-pep has condemned the police proposal saying it could lead to an HIV epidemic. Campaigners for a safer sex trade have said that any ban on condoms would not stop people having sex but it would result in unprotected sex and higher rates of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections.

Update: Condoms survive but four parlours don't

25th October 2013. See  article from  scotsman.com

Four Edinburgh saunas have been closed down by the council, but seven others have been given permission to continue operating.

Police Scotland failed to convince councillors that their reprehensible condition that no items of a sexual nature should be allowed on the premises should be imposed. The only additional conditions imposed, after being requested by police, were an alcohol ban and requirement that the sauna be in good working order.

There were 13 sauna applications to be heard yesterday, five in public and eight in private. Licences were approved for Carol's Sauna, London Street Sauna, Ambassador Sauna, No Eighteen, Steamworks, Scorpio and New Town Sauna.

Speaking after the meeting, convener of the licensing sub- committee, Councillor Gavin Barrie, said:

The committee has carefully reviewed all the information presented, including information from any objectors and reports from Police Scotland. Each application was considered on its individual merits and of the 13 public entertainment licences considered today, seven have been renewed.

Among the saunas that had their licence applications rejected last night were Blair Street, New Gentle Touch, Paradise and Dundas Street, though the decisions could be appealed. Two other decisions were deferred.

A high proportion of violent crimes and rapes committed against sex workers rarely result in convictions in the UK.

The Greater London Authority's Silence on Violence report found that sex workers in London are at least 12 times more likely to be murdered than the national average. The report also found that sex workers felt they cannot safely report crime to the police.

Writer Ruth Jacobs, formerly in prostitution herself, investigates why violent crimes against sex workers often go unpunished.

The BBC programme Inside Out, looks at a revolutionary model of policing prostitution run by Merseyside Police which has a 67% success rate on convictions for rapes against sex workers.

An academic from Queen's University Belfast has challenged claims being made about the extent of human trafficking in Northern Ireland.

Dr Graham Ellison from the university's School of Law says there have only been four proven victims of sex trafficking and three of forced labour, since figures were first published for Northern Ireland in January 2012.

He is critical of organisations aiming to rescue women from prostitution, which he dubs the rescue industry . He added:

I think there are vested interests tied up with this.

I am a bit sceptical of the number of smaller organisations popping up all over the place that have anti-trafficking at their core and which get state funding and which seem to exist for propagating this myth or something.

Asked how the public should choose which experts to believe on the subject of prostitution and trafficking, he had a simple answer:

I don't think that the research from advocacy groups, with an abolitionist [anti-prostitution] perspective, is very rigorous. And of course I think mine is very rigorous.

Dr Ellison was awarded a grant in May to begin his first piece of research on prostitution. With the help of other academics, he is comparing regulatory models of prostitution in Berlin, Prague, Belfast and Manchester as part of a study relating to Lord Morrow's bill.

He estimates there are around 10 mainly street based male escorts in Belfast and up to 30 women. Advertising online he says there are around 500 women in Northern Ireland, mainly in Belfast, Newry and Londonderry who have been available for sex work appointments over past two year period . Only around 20-30 are available on any given day, he says, though a small number are duplicate adverts.

A spokesman for the Department of Justice, which has done extensive work to tackle human trafficking in Northern Ireland, said 17 suspected victims have been referred to the NRM/UKHTC since the start of April 2013. Six were found not to be victims, one has been confirmed as a victim and ten cases are pending.

...Read the full article

Benefit reductions measures are being blamed for an increasing number of women turning to prostitution in Doncaster.

Doncaster Council says more women are selling their bodies for sex on the streets because welfare reforms and increased living costs means that they are finding they are unable to make ends meet.

The council is now launching a 12-month pilot scheme which will offer support to try and get women off the streets rather than concentrating on enforcement action. The project will give street workers the tools and techniques to exit the lifestyle and drop-in centres would continue to give support. The pilot is due to be launched in December.

A highly-publicised police raid on prostitution resulted in sauna bosses retaliating by drawing up a list of high-profile public figures who have used their services.

Fear of ending up on the list has resulted in many regular customers to refuse to use the saunas in favour of offsite liaisons in cars, hotel rooms and flats.

Some sauna sex workers are charging inflated prices for the unsafe locations and ither girls have gone completely off radar . Critics of the crackdown say the spread of the sex industry outside saunas poses a serious risk to public health as well as the safety of girls and their clients.

Sauna bosses reprehensibly drew up a 50-strong list of police officers, lawyers and council officials who have used their services. They plan to use the list in court to lay bare what they claim is hypocrisy on the part of officials.

One sex worker said the list was hated by the girls and their clients. She said:

Girls are now getting calls from customers asking them to go to them instead of the client coming into the sauna because they're scared of ending up on the list.

As soon as the girls leaves the premises for a job, her safety is compromised greatly and now, because some of the girls are getting desperate, they're doing jobs that really aren't safe. They have no security driver, they have no mobile contact with anyone to let them know where they are. It's really incredibly dangerous.

But because business has slowed down so much since the raids and then even more since the list was drafted, girls are having to do these jobs to get by.

Several individuals said to be linked to six saunas have been charged with offences including brothel keeping and living off immoral earnings.