-
-
Newspaper group bans ads for 'adult services' to tackle sex trafficking
One of the largest newspaper publishers in the UK has banned advertisements for "adult services" from its titles - almost 300 publications, including 17 dailies and websites.
Newsquest South London has "taken a decision no longer to publish adult services advertisements, either in print or on its websites. Increasing concerns regarding the appalling issue of human trafficking have been significant in this decision, which is effective immediately."
Newsquest's head office would not elaborate on the decision or the possible impact on advertising revenue, but campaign groups have welcomed the move. Members of the Croydon Community Against Trafficking posed as punters answering ads. In a Society Guardian report last year, it revealed that 84% of women being sold for sex were from overseas, most of them trafficked.
About time or an overreaction? Whose responsibility is it to police how and where adult companies can advertise their services? What impact will this have on the company's revenues? Does anyone actually buy newspapers or magazines *just* for the sex ads? Will other publishers be persuaded to follow suit? And what real impact will this have on tackling sex trafficking?
One of the largest newspaper publishers in the UK has banned advertisements for "adult services" from its titles - almost 300 publicat... more -
Put it away, love: trendy Tories urge curbs on lap-dancing
The Conservatives would give communities more power to block the opening of lap-dancing clubs, the BBC reports today.
Current licensing laws put lap-dancing clubs in the same category as pubs or coffee shops, giving residents less scope to oppose them than sex shops or cinemas. The number of lap-dance clubs in the UK has risen to 300 since the first one opened in 1995 (that's more lap dance clubs than rape crisis centres, don't you know).
But councils should be able to decide whether such venues are appropriate for their area, according to shadow women's minister Theresa May.
Ms May said: "Councils are currently unable to block lap-dancing clubs opening even if they are overwhelmingly opposed by local residents.
"The government's reforms have effectively silenced communities and allow no consideration to be given to their views.
"Local people often have legitimate reasons for objecting to the planned location of a lap-dancing club - if it is near a school or a library for instance. We want to empower councils to take account of local opinion."
Um, if its near a library? Are the Tories saying that ladies shouldn't dance in their underwear in close proximity to books, or that the trade of human flesh should be regulated carefully, and a matter for community consideration?
And it's a great sentiment, but is anyone else slightly suspicious of the Tories' right-on attitude to all things lady these days? Yes, a Tory agenda in favour of decreasing sexual permissiveness isn't a huge surprise, but lefty feminists have long been campaigning for re-classification of lap dance clubs, and here come their traditional political nemesis with resounding support! It's an odd combination. What on earth is happening to the Tories... and is it (dare I say it) actually a good thing...?
The Conservatives would give communities more power to block the opening of lap-dancing clubs, the BBC reports today. ... more -
Nine Face Execution By Stoning in Iran for Adultery and Prostitution
At least eight women and one man are reported to have been sentenced to death by stoning in Iran.
The group, convicted of adultery and sex offences, could be executed at any time, lawyers defending them say.
The lawyers have called on the head of Iran's judiciary to prevent the sentences from being carried out.
The last officially reported stoning in Iran last year drew strong criticism from human rights groups and the European Union.
The eight women sentenced, whose ages range from 27 to 43, had convictions including prostitution, incest and adultery, Reuters news agency reported.
The man, a 50-year-old music teacher, was convicted of illegal sex with a student, reports said.
Moratorium imposed
Under Iran's Islamic law, stoning to death is the punishment for the crime of adultery.
In 2002 Iranian judiciary chief Ayatollah Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi imposed a moratorium on stoning, but at least three people are reported to have been executed by stoning since then.
Shadi Sadr from the Volunteer Lawyers' Network, which is representing the women, said: "We are very worried as there are at least eight women and one man with a definitive verdict which can be carried out any moment.
Under Iran's strict penal code, men convicted of adultery should be buried up to their waists and women up to their chests for stoning. The stones used should not be large enough to kill the person immediately.
At least eight women and one man are reported to have been sentenced to death by stoning in Iran. ... more -
Photographer Detained After Filming Taliban Execution of Two Women in Afghanistan
Two Afghan women shot and killed by Taliban in Ghazni province, Afghanistan. Taliban fighters told Associated Press Television News that the two were executed for allegedly running a prostitution ring catering to U.S. soldiers and other foreign contractors at a U.S. base in Ghazni city. Two Afghan women shot and killed by Taliban in Ghazni province, Afghanistan. Taliban fighters told Associated Press Television News th... more
-
Russia's sex slave industry thrives, rights groups say
"Young women in bright miniskirts and high heels line up to sell themselves in the dingy back streets throughout the Russian capital. Moscow's illegal flesh markets are flourishing, with up to 30 women at each pickup point, or tochka, standing in order of price for the night.
Customers light up the lines with their car headlights, and are asked to pay between $100 and $700 for a woman.
Aid workers for groups fighting for women's rights here say Moscow is witnessing a surge in prostitution, including forced prostitution, as a result of Russia's booming economy.
They say thousands of young women are made to work as sex slaves on the city's streets, unable to escape from the ruthless and violent criminal gangs who traffic them.
"It's because of the economic boom they are brought here," says Afsona Kadyrova of the Angel Coalition aid agency, which rehabilitates trafficked women and children. "The fast pace of development in Moscow has fueled demand for a range of cheap workers, including prostitutes."
To investigate the thriving trade, CNN went undercover posing as potential customers and gained access to speak directly to the prostitutes and their pimps.
"Take your pick from any of the girls," the female organizer says at one location, lines of women all around. "The expensive ones are on the right, for $600 and $700 a night. The women on the left are $100."
Aid agencies say many of the women working here are tricked into coming to Moscow on the promise of an education or a good job. They say others are simply kidnapped from their hometowns and forced to work as prostitutes in Moscow.
Russian police acknowledge human trafficking for sexual exploitation is a major problem, saying they do what they can to fight it by raiding brothels suspected of forced prostitution and arresting gang members who run them. But the problem, they say, lies elsewhere.
"First of all, we have virtually open borders, and badly controlled migration flows from nearby countries," says Alexander Krasnov of Russia's Interior Ministry Police.
"Secondly, we still don't have a basic law that defines victims' rights. At the moment, it's mostly aid agencies that deal with it."
Aid agencies say they are handling a growing number of deeply traumatized victims rescued from brothels and pimps in the Moscow area. One U.N. organization, the International Organization for Migration, recently opened a treatment and rehabilitation center to cope with the large numbers of sexually exploited and trafficked women who come for help.
At this center, Christine, a 27-year-old Nigerian woman, tells how she acquired a painful 4-inch scar across her right cheek. She says she was lured to Russia from Nigeria four years ago by her uncle. He promised to give her a college education, she says.
But instead, she says he sent her to a Moscow brothel. He told her "the kind of job I'm going to be doing is prostitution ..."
By Matthew Chance
Article Continues, click link to read. "Young women in bright miniskirts and high heels line up to sell themselves in the dingy back streets throughout the Russian capital. ... more -
Russia's sex slave industry thrives, rights groups say
Young women in bright miniskirts and high heels line up to sell themselves in the dingy back streets throughout the Russian capital. Moscow's illegal flesh markets are flourishing, with up to 30 women at each pickup point, or tochka, standing in order of price for the night.
Customers light up the lines with their car headlights, and are asked to pay between $100 and $700 for a woman.
Aid workers for groups fighting for women's rights here say Moscow is witnessing a surge in prostitution, including forced prostitution, as a result of Russia's booming economy.
They say thousands of young women are made to work as sex slaves on the city's streets, unable to escape from the ruthless and violent criminal gangs who traffic them. VideoWatch Moscow's thriving sex trade »
"It's because of the economic boom they are brought here," says Afsona Kadyrova of the Angel Coalition aid agency, which rehabilitates trafficked women and children. "The fast pace of development in Moscow has fueled demand for a range of cheap workers, including prostitutes."
To investigate the thriving trade, CNN went undercover posing as potential customers and gained access to speak directly to the prostitutes and their pimps.
"Take your pick from any of the girls," the female organizer says at one location, lines of women all around. "The expensive ones are on the right, for $600 and $700 a night. The women on the left are $100."
Aid agencies say many of the women working here are tricked into coming to Moscow on the promise of an education or a good job. They say others are simply kidnapped from their hometowns and forced to work as prostitutes in Moscow. VideoWatch one woman describe how her uncle duped her into prostitution »
Russian police acknowledge human trafficking for sexual exploitation is a major problem, saying they do what they can to fight it by raiding brothels suspected of forced prostitution and arresting gang members who run them. But the problem, they say, lies elsewhere.
"First of all, we have virtually open borders, and badly controlled migration flows from nearby countries," says Alexander Krasnov of Russia's Interior Ministry Police.
"Secondly, we still don't have a basic law that defines victims' rights. At the moment, it's mostly aid agencies that deal with it."
Aid agencies say they are handling a growing number of deeply traumatized victims rescued from brothels and pimps in the Moscow area. One U.N. organization, the International Organization for Migration, recently opened a treatment and rehabilitation center to cope with the large numbers of sexually exploited and trafficked women who come for help.
At this center, Christine, a 27-year-old Nigerian woman, tells how she acquired a painful 4-inch scar across her right cheek. She says she was lured to Russia from Nigeria four years ago by her uncle. He promised to give her a college education, she says.
But instead, she says he sent her to a Moscow brothel. He told her "the kind of job I'm going to be doing is prostitution."
"I ask him, 'Why prostitution? Why not another job to pay the money?' He says, 'I didn't speak the language. I cannot do any other job.' "
She adds, "It made me feel very bad. I felt that I'm not going to do it over my dead body."
But when she tried to run away, her uncle cut her face, says Christine, who asked that her last name not be used.
"He made me know that if I don't cooperate with him, something bad will happen to me -- that if I made an attempt to run away, it would end in taking my life. So I was really scared about that," she says.
Young women in bright miniskirts and high heels line up to sell themselves in the dingy back streets throughout the Russian capital. M... more -
South African plans to legalise prostitution condemned
A proposal to legalise prostitution in South Africa during the 2010 soccer world cup have met with strong opposition from religious groups and opposition parties.
The local government in Durban, the country's third largest city, want to create legal "adult entertainment" venues during the tournament.
The African Nazareth Democratic Movement (ANDM) have criticised the move, calling it "against the word of God", while opposition parties feel that if allowed, it could become permanent.
However, supporters of the bill argue that the illegal sex industry is sure to get a boost during tethe major tournament, and that by legalising it, sex workers will be better protected. A proposal to legalise prostitution in South Africa during the 2010 soccer world cup have met with strong opposition from religious gr... more -
Girls as young as 10 are lured into prostitution by teenage boys
Girls as young as 10 are being lured into prostitution by teenage boys who charm them, offer them gifts and gain their trust, the Home Office said today.
The Home Office is funding a video produced with the UK Internal Trafficking Group which will go to schools and youth groups to warn young people of the risk of so-called "internal trafficking".
It is also working with other agencies to find out the scale of the problem, a spokeswoman said.
She said the Home Office is working with police forces and health services - especially sexual health clinics - to make sure victims are identified and can be offered help.
Girls as young as 10 are being lured into prostitution by teenage boys who charm them, offer them gifts and gain their trust, the Home... more -
Visiting Brothels is an 'addiction'
A new survey has shed light on why men are hooked on hookers, by revealing that a vast majority of males view buying sex as a form of addiction.
To get a broader insight into the attitudes of men who buy sex, the team of researchers, mostly young women invited more than 100 US men who visited prostitutes to sit and talk about their attitudes and experiences. They received more than 200 responses.
The survey designed by anti-prostitution activist Melissa Farley showed that majority of men believed that there was nothing wrong with prostitution and 83 per cent viewed buying sex as a form of addiction.
The aim of research was to push for harsher criminal punishments for men who buy sex from prostitutes, she said. However, nearly 90 per cent of the men said that they would stop if they felt there was a likely chance they would be caught and prosecuted.
A new survey has shed light on why men are hooked on hookers, by revealing that a vast majority of males view buying sex as a form of ... more -
Word Cup sex shop plans condemned
Plans to legalise prostitution for the 2010 football World Cup in South Africa have been criticised by religious groups and opposition parties.
The local authority in Durban wants legalised adult entertainment venues during the tournament.
But African Nazareth Democratic Movement (ANDM) president Thokozani Hlatshwayo said the proposal was "against the word of God".
Opposition parties fear that, if introduced, it could become permanent.
The main opposition Democratic Alliance and the youth wing of the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) have condemned the suggestion.
"Plans to legalise Durban's red-light districts before the 2010 World Cup should be condemned in the strongest possible manner," said Pat Lebenya-Ntanzi of the IFP youth brigade.
She said the South African government was sending out mixed messages to young people.
"On the one hand it preaches strong family values and moral regeneration, but on the other hand they want to legalise prostitution on Durban's streets. It doesn't make sense," she said.
An additional concern is Aids - some five million people in South Africa are HIV-positive - making it one of the world's worst-hit countries.
Thrives
Durban's municipality said Germany had many adult entertainment centres during the World Cup in 2006, which were very popular with visitors.
It said while prostitution was illegal in South Africa, it could not ignore the fact that the sex industry thrives during major events like the World Cup.
To address this, entertainment centres such as strip clubs and escort agencies would be located in special areas where they would be safe and easily accessible.
Municipality Deputy Mayor Logie Naidoo said a final decision had not yet been taken.
"The national government will give us a lead in this matter, whether it relates to the 2010 Soccer World Cup or any other time for that matter," he said.
Safe environments
City officials admit that there are already young girls and women working as prostitutes on the streets of Durban.
They say plans are already in place to help them operate in safe environments. Plans to legalise prostitution for the 2010 football World Cup in South Africa have been criticised by religious groups and opposition... more -
9 British women facing prostitution charges after Greek sex competition
Nine British women were facing prostitution charges after being arrested at the weekend for taking part in an oral sex competition in the Greek holiday island of Zakynthos, police said on Monday.
Six British and six Greek men, including two bar owners, were also charged in the incident, which took place at Laganas beach in the south of the Ionian island, which lies off the west coast of mainland Greece, police said.
The women, who came to the popular resort on holiday, had been paid to take part in the competition, which was video recorded and was to be posted on the Internet, police said.
The men were charged with encouraging obscene behaviour.
In recent years, Laganas has established itself as one of Greece's most popular destinations for twenty-something holidaymakers and is known for its wild party scene.
Around 15 million people -- a fifth of them British -- visit the eastern Mediterranean country each year, drawn by its soaring summer temperatures, azure waters and sandy beaches.
Ick. Yet another reason to be ashamed to be British. Why so grim, holiday ladies!?
Nine British women were facing prostitution charges after being arrested at the weekend for taking part in an oral sex competition in ... more -
Woman in Spitzer prostitution ring to plead guilty
An accused booking agent in a prostitution ring whose clients included former New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer will plead guilty to a conspiracy charge relating to prostitution, her lawyer said on Monday.
Tanya Hollander was one of four people charged with running the Emperors Club VIP, a high-priced prostitution ring broken up this year. The other three have pleaded guilty.
Hollander, 36, pleaded not guilty in federal court on Monday but her lawyer, Michael Farkas, said later she would change the plea to guilty at an August 25 hearing.
Spitzer, who as state attorney general championed anti-prostitution legislation and cracked down on financial crimes, resigned as governor in March after The New York Times reported he was a client of the Emperors Club.
Spitzer has not been charged in the case and prosecutors refuse to say whether he will face charges.
Farkas said Spitzer had nothing to do with Hollander's case yet. He said Hollander's role in the ring was smaller than the other defendants and he hoped she would escape jail time under her plea deal. An accused booking agent in a prostitution ring whose clients included former New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer will plead guilty to a consp... more -
Auto confiscation for misdemeanor offense of cruising for prostitutes considered i...
"The Easton City Council is considering a law that would let the city permanently seize the car of anyone caught cruising for a prostitute."
(End of excerpt)
Full story at link by NBC10.com
Photo by flickr user telethon
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ryanjunell/382523918/
Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/deed.en
"The Easton City Council is considering a law that would let the city permanently seize the car of anyone caught cruising for a prosti... more -
Nursery nurse has boob job paid for by 100 men she doesn't know
Men! Take part in the surgical enhacement of a lady who's never going to let you touch her! Appealing eh? Well no, you'd think not, but it seems to work on website MyFreeImplants.com which pairs women up with the weirdos who're prepared to fund their boob jobs, seemingly for no reward, other than to be part of creating a race of pneumatic barbie dolls, I guess.
The delightful Daily Mail today reports that Karen Fielding was able to afford the £2,500 breast enlargement operation after members of MyFreeImplants.com donated enough money for her to pay the plastic surgeon's fee.
MyFreeImplants.com allows members to create profiles similar to that of Facebook and Myspace. Women can post pictures of themselves and men can then donate money to their future procedure. While a current photo is required (one for the wank bank, I guess), a post-operation shot is not compulsory.
The homepage of the website encourages its male members with the line: 'Gents...help the girl of your dreams get the body of her dreams. Develop a connection with a girl of your choice and help her earn free breast implants!'
Its message to women reads: 'Ladies...have you ever wanted bigger breasts? But couldn't afford the expensive surgery? Here is your opportunity to earn free breast implants!'
Karen said: "I am feeling pretty good and really pleased with how it turned out. I went for a natural look and that is what I got. I know you can change how you look through exercise and eating well but you can't change your boobs, which is why I had mine done."
Ugh. This is itself is not news. Its just sort of gross. But the idea that women are being 'improved' thanks to the generosity of men who'll pay for their surgery, and who must hope that by paying they'll one day get a piece of the action IS news, and its proper disturbing.
Why do these men pay for women's breast enhancement? Is this a kind of prostitution - a kind of 'you pay for my new-and-improved body and I might let you touch it' situation?
I wish MyFreeFlatByTheSeaside.com existed. Or MyFreeBroadcastQualityCamera.com perhaps. Or MyFreeExtravagantLifestyle.com...
Men! Take part in the surgical enhacement of a lady who's never going to let you touch her! Appealing eh? Well no, you'd think not, bu... more -
Policeman ignored 999 calls to visit prostitutes
A Merseyside police sergeant who was caught with a prostitute in a squad car has been given a suspended prison sentence.
For more than three weeks Karl Cliff was watched trawling the red light district of Liverpool and Wallasey while he was supposed to be on mobile patrol.
Undercover officers watched as the 42-year-old, who had more than 17 years in the police deserted his patrol and was seen visiting known sex workers.
Audio and video recording devices were even place in force vehicles to record conversations with known prostitutes.
Cliff, of Windsor Drive, Flint, was eventually arrested at 2.25am on August 7, 2007, with a prostitute in a deserted car park.
When officers pounced Cliff said: “I’m ***ed, aren’t I? Talk is quick on the grapevine.”
He admitted the charge of misconduct in public office.
Liverpool Crown Court heard he was suffering from depression and post traumatic disorder.
His barrister Donal Maguire said Cliff had been traumatised by the “harrowing events” he had seen while serving in the Royal Ulster Constabulary in northern Ireland between 1996 and 2001.
He added that the sergeant had an exemplary record during his 17 years service after joining the police cadets when he was just 16.
The Recorder of Liverpool, Judge Henry Globe, QC, decided to suspend an eight-month prison sentence for two years ordering him to do 175 hours of unpaid work.
He said: “The commission of misconduct in public office is a serious offence. It inevitably involves a dereliction of duty and a breach of trust. The police service and the public have the right to expect the highest standards of conduct from police officers.
“Your actions have brought the police service into disrepute and ridicule.”
Judge Globe said Cliff had fallen under suspicion within days of joining Merseyside Police from Greater Manchester Police on March 28, 2007.
Soon after his arrival a known Birkenhead sex worker complained he was pestering her.
His colleagues also raised questions about his behaviour after he frequently headed to notorious red light districts.
Formal complaints were made and the police professional standards team decided to mount an operation. A Merseyside police sergeant who was caught with a prostitute in a squad car has been given a suspended prison sentence. ... more -
Jamaican Health Officials Call for the Legalization of Prostitution
"The suggested decriminalization of commercial sex work was proposed as a viable form of regulating the now-unofficial industry, potentially bringing in approximately up to JMD 3 billion (approximately USD 428 million) annually. These much needed resources could then be used to educate sex workers about effective condom use, and also towards the facilitation of a safer, regulated sex work environment, thereby reducing the transmission of HIV and other STIs within this vulnerable group."
"The suggested decriminalization of commercial sex work was proposed as a viable form of regulating the now-unofficial industry, poten... more -
Your G-spot will bring you closer to God
Sex In Crisis, a new book by Dagmar Herzog, explores how religious conservatives are hijacking liberal rhetoric - the idea that orgasms are actually rather good, for example - to preach ideas on sexuality that are anything BUT liberal.
According to Herzog, the conservative right are using the (literally) touchy feely language of sex-positivism to demonstrate how much they 'value' and 'respect' women, and acknowledge that sex is a vital (and maybe even fun!) part of relationships... as long as its not DIRTY AND SINFUL.
In conservative right-speak, "prostitution demeans the value of women" equals "so lets withdraw AIDS outreach efforts to prostitutes in developing countries, cos they shouldn't be doing it anyway."
Exploring your G-spot (with no-one but your husband, of course) will bring you closer to God according to evangelical sexologists (now there's a combination of words you weren't expecting to hear this morning).
And as long as you ONLY have sex within marriage, a lifetime of 'soulgasms' (ick) is yours for the taking.
Homosexuality can be cured by Christ (phew! I was tiring of my deviant attraction to women anyway) and best of all is the news that good wives who put out wherever, whenever (and whatever time of the month) will protect their husband's spiritual purity by preventing any 'need' for porn or masturbation.
She'll wear sexy lingerie and keep herself shaved and showered at all times, ready to *ahem* drop everything the moment her man wants some.
"Ellen", an ideal wife, explains, "[My husband's] purity is extremely important to me, so I try to meet his needs so that he goes out each day with his cup full. During the earlier years, with much energy going into childcare and with my monthly cycle, it was a lot more difficult for me to do that. There weren't too many 'ideal times' when everything was just right. But that's life, and I did it anyway."
So that's that. Man's satisfied, woman's satisfied, God's satisfied - and Jesus is coming again.
A happy outcome for us all, eh?
Sex In Crisis, a new book by Dagmar Herzog, explores how religious conservatives are hijacking liberal rhetoric - the idea that orgasm... more -
Spanish Prostitutes Put On Fashion Show
A group of prostitutes in Madrid put on a fashion show to draw attention to their situation: they are in danger of being forced out of the area in which they ply their trade. The name of the show? "Bitch Catwalk." A group of prostitutes in Madrid put on a fashion show to draw attention to their situation: they are in danger of being forced out of... more
-
Woman has sex for petrol - fuel crisis reaches new low
A woman from Kentucky is facing charges for prostitution after she sold her sexual services to a man partly in return for a $100 fuel voucher, according to The Smoking Gun.
Apparently she was worth about 25 gallons of gas.
Bloody hell. A woman from Kentucky is facing charges for prostitution after she sold her sexual services to a man partly in return for a $100 fuel ... more -
Sex trade: 18,000 women and children trafficked into UK
Up to 18,000 females, including girls as young as 14, are working in brothels across Britain after being smuggled into the country, a new police survey reveals. Nearly five times more women than previously thought are working in massage parlours and suburban homes.
Operation Pentameter 2, a six-month campaign by police forces across the country, has exposed the horrifying extent of the sex trade industry in the UK. Because of the booming demand for prostitutes in the UK, prostitution and people trafficking is now the third most lucrative black-market trade after gun running and drug dealing. Organised crime gangs increasingly use the internet to communicate and maximise their earnings.
Most of the victims are young and foreign, coming from countries including Brazil, China, Lithuania and Thailand. Often, women are lured away from their homes with promises of work in bars or nightclubs, before being sold for up to £5,000 to pimps and brothel-keepers. The women are then forced to work for little or no income under threat of violence against their families.
As a result of Operation Pentameter 2, 528 suspected traffickers were arrested and 822 brothels closes. 154 women and 13 girls were released. Up to 18,000 females, including girls as young as 14, are working in brothels across Britain after being smuggled into the country, a ... more
-
related topics
Prostitution
Contributors (501)
Prostitution
