At least 1500 women and girls are brought into the UK to work in the sex industry every year
A Zfst century crime
The growing problem of SEX TRAFFICKING into the UK is not confined to London. Allan Radcliffe looks into responses to the issue in Scotland.
rottnd 7()().()()() women and girls are illegally trafficked around the world atmually. according to
current estimates. They are deprived of their
passports. raped and terrorised. Many acquire new drug habits. Some are murdered. Those who succeed in escaping their enslavcment are bedevilled by fear of reprisals towards relatives in their home countries.
'l‘rafficking was brottght dramatically into the PK spotlight earlier this year when l.uan l’lakici. a 26-year-old Albanian asylum seeker. was jailed for 23 years for smuggling women into Britain to work in the sex industry. At his trial. l’lakici admitted leading a gang that brought ()0 women from Moldova and Romania into the UK. Seven women aged between 17 and 2-1 gave evidence at the trial. Having been coerced into leaving their families. they were treated as prisoners. raped en route to the [’K then forced to work in massage parlours in London. l.uton. Reading and Redford. entertaining tip to 20 male ‘clients' daily.
This case has provoked a mixed response among Scotland‘s lawmakers. Last year's (‘riminal Justice Bill included ‘trafficking‘ as a new offence in existing Scottish law. Yet. because of the illegal nature of the sex industry's private brothels and saunas. it is impossible to judge how widespread the problem is becoming here. As John Watson of Amnesty International points out: ‘We hear of examples of trafficking involving Scotland but we don‘t know enough about what fortn it takes or exactly how widespread it is. l'nderstanding the problem is the first step towards tackling it.~
Telephone enquiries to saunas in lidinburgh and (ilasgow reveal that women of many nationalities work in Scotland's sex industry. “We have liastern European. Africans. Middle liastern. Asian. you can take your pick] says one receptionist. When pressed on how these women arrived. however. the response is either professed ignorance or the eloquent click of the receiver returning to its cradle.
.\largo MacDonald. Independent MSP for the Lothians. whose private members‘ bill giving councils the power to introduce tolerance /ones has been well documented. makes the distinction between illegal immigrants working voluntarily as prostitutes and illegally trafficked women. ‘We know there are foreign women working as prostitutes in Edinburgh] says McDonald. ‘Some are working here illegally by their own free will and some may well be
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brought here by criminal gangs. But it‘s difficult for police to recognise who's been trafficked as these women usually work off the streets.‘
Inevitably. there are divergent views on how to tackle trafficking. ‘There is strong evidence that how you deal with prostitution locally will have an impact on whether women are trafficked into your city or countryf says .lan Mcleod. who chairs the Routes Out of Prostitution Social Inclusion Partnership. a (ilasgow (‘ity (‘ouncil initiative. ‘There is evidence a it‘s common sense as far as I‘m concerned that where strict laws focusing on the male customer are in place. there will be a reduction in trafficking.‘
Mcleod cites the Swedish system as an effective means of tackling trafficking. In 2002. new legislation introduced a minimum penalty of two years imprisonment. This tough approach appears to have resulted in criminal gangs avoiding Sweden because of the heavy penalties. McIeod goes so far as to say: ‘There is evidence to suggest that in areas where prostitution is either legalised or tolerated. a blind eye turned to it. you will get increased trafficking.‘
This view reflects fears that the introduction of tolerance zones will make the trafficking of women even more difficult to monitor. It‘s a theory vehemently rejected by Margo MacDonald. 'My bill is Hot an “ottl—of-sigltl-trut-oli- mind" approach.‘ she says. 'lt‘s about designating an area where prostitutes can be monitored and given training for new jobs if required. Since tolerance /ones have been removed from lidinburgh. police jtist aren‘t on top of other criminal issues related to prostitution. such as trafficking.‘
The lixecutive has tnade moves to tackle the issue. liarlier this year. communities minister Margaret (‘urran announced that a pilot project would be set tip in (ilasgow. Whether or not this scheme will bear fruit in tracing and helping trafficked women remains to be seen.
‘IT'S DIFFICULT FOR POLICE TO RECOGNISE WHO'S BEEN TRAFFICKED AS THESE WOMEN USUALLY WORK OFF THE ST REETS'
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i/ Every year, 2m girls aged between S and 15 are introduced into the worldwide sex industry. A recent United Nations report estimated that 700,000 women and girls are illegally trafficked around the world annually.
V Sex trafficking is particularly prevalent across the Balkans where poverty, pittance wages and unemployment contrast sharply with Western affluence. Many women are coerced into prostitution by the promise of a foreign job. while a growing number are sold by their husbands or relatives to traffickers. A shelter in Montenegro, which has supported 58 victims of trafficking, recently collected statistics from these women. 95% were victims of violence, including being photographed in humiliating positions and filmed while being gang-raped. 41% were underage. 78% said police were involved or co- operated with traffickers and pimps.
s/ Prostitution and sex trafficking constitute the third highest illegal global income earner. Europol, the European law enforcement agency, estimates human trafficking to be a multibillion dollar industry. The phenomenon represents the supply and demand of the global free market at its most grotesque.
i/ It is conservatively estimated that around 1500 women and girls are brought against their will into the UK every year to work in the sex industry. There are currently no reliable statistics to show how many of these are being trafficked into Scotland.
i/ There is one dedicated safe house providing refuge and support to women victims of trafficking in the UK. Run by the charity Eaves Housing for Women, the Home Office-sponsored ‘Poppy Project' supports 25 women victims of trafficking in London. (Allan Radcliffe)