sex workers & police:working together against abuses

Crime against sex workers

in Ireland

16th October 2014, University of Limerick, Ireland

Selling Sex: politics, activism & lived experience

Irish sex worker safety scheme

The Internet

Irish sex worker safety scheme

Access restricted to sex workers

only

Available to all sex workers

Free web-based

service

Warning is then issued to

all sex workers.

Sex worker

reports incident to us.

How it works

Database

16 languages

Discussion forums

and chat rooms

Number check

Highlighted warning lists

By SMS

service

Auto-linking of

related reports

Search/browse

warnings &

offenders

Support/referrals

Features

Android mobile app

Screens incoming/outgoing calls &

SMS

Warns if there are

warning(s) for a number

Successful scheme for sex workers

Provides sex

workers with

information that

greatly improves

their safety

Enables sex

workers to be

aware both of

offenders and

offending trends

UglyMugs.ie

is highly used

by sex workers.

5,695 incidents reported

2,233 crime incidents3,462 non crime incidents

5 year stats

Types of crime

Threatening

communications

In-person

threatening

behaviour

Assault

Sexual

assaultRobbery

Fraud

Exploit-

ation

Harass-

ment

Impers-

onating

police

Vand-

alism

Illegal

requests

/ offers

Exploitation

39

108

10

20

40

60

80

100

120

Employer / Manager Landlord / Hotel Staff Other

Crime against sex workers is underreported

Republic of Ireland

3.3%Reporting Rate

All Ireland

3.5%Reporting Rate

Northern Ireland

5.2%Reporting Rate

Crime Rising

214 221

365 355

393

452

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

450

500

Pre Year 1 Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5

Reporting Crime Falling

7.00%

7.70%

3.00%

2.30%2.00%

1.50%

0.00%

1.00%

2.00%

3.00%

4.00%

5.00%

6.00%

7.00%

8.00%

9.00%

Pre Year 1 Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5

Sex workers are at a high risk of experiencing crime

Sex workers are at a

high risk of

experiencing crime

and abuse

Prostitution policy

puts sex workers at an

increased risk

Offenders

deliberately target

sex workers

Offender info can be shared with police

2 NUM Evaluation,

UKNSWP, August 2013

Database

of sex workers in England and Wales are happy to share info with police.292.3%

Police cooperation

UglyMugs.ie can

act as an

intermediary

between police

and sex workers

Provide guidance

to police on

working with sex

workers.

Assist police

investigations

into serious

crime.

Difficulties with police cooperation

Wish List

* Sex work liaison officers

* Prioritisation of sex worker safety

* Treat crime against sex workers as hate crime

* Publicly condemn crime against sex workers

* Reconsider police enforcement actions

* Adopt a clear policing strategy

Sex worker safety is not a policing priority

Not Interested Prepared to listen

Police Interest in Sex Worker Safety

TORL Membership in 2012 – 1.6 million

Adult population of Republic of Ireland - 3.4 million1

1 Census 2011

Sex trafficking is the only policing priority

Police exclusion of the sex work community in anti trafficking efforts

Anti sex

work & sex

trafficking

NGOs

ChurchesWomen’s

Groups

Airlines &

Hotel StaffTaxi Drivers Schools

Increased criminalisation of sex work

3 PSNI FOI Request Number F-

2014-00002, 5 February 2014

In Northern Ireland, arrests for prostitution

offences in 2012 were up 238% from 2007.3

Comparable figures for Republic of Ireland are

not available (the Gardaí are not subject to

FOI).

4 Turn Off the Blue Light, July 2011

95% of persons convicted of brothel keeping in the Republic of Ireland appear to be sex workers themselves & not controlling any other person.4

ROI population 4,588,252, NI

population 1,810,863 (Census 2011).

Crime rate here is the number of crime

incidents recorded per year per

100,000 population.

2000

Crime

incidents

233

Crime

incidents The rate of crime

against sex workers

in the Republic of

Ireland is 3.4 times

higher than in

Northern Ireland.5

Racism and/or xenophobia

Telling sex workers they are

pimped/trafficked

Threats to call police

What offenders say

Proposed new anti sex work laws

All Ireland

Criminalistion of purchase of sex between consenting adults

Republic of Ireland

Criminailisation of use of mobile

phones by sex workers

Criminalisation of viewing of sex

work websites

UK (Northern Ireland)

Statutory duty to report potential

trafficking

Great

community

of sex

workers

Sex workers

help each

other stay

safe

Hope for

improved

policing

Thank you.

sex workers & police:working together against abuses

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