SDLP Councillor Carmel O’Boyle presented a motion to Down District Council this evening ( Monday 10 September ) in order to give every political party in Down District the opportunity of supportingxa0The Human Trafficking and Exploitationxa0Billxa0that has been proposed by Lord Morrow in the Northern Ireland Assembly.
She said: “Thisxa0will give us the opportunity to applaudxa0the inclusion in his billxa0ofxa0the long overdue proposal that would make it an offence to pay for sexual services from a prostitute.
“All other parts of the bill are similar to what is proposed in thexa0UK,xa0and public consultation in thexa0Republicxa0ofxa0Irelandxa0on child prostitution and sex traffickingxa0was to be presented to an Oireachatas Committee at the end of August.
“If passed into legislation, Lord Morrow’sxa0Human Trafficking and Exploitation Billxa0would make Northernxa0Irelandxa0the leadxa0jurisdictionxa0in thexa0British Islesxa0on human trafficking law.xa0Making it an offence to pay for sex goes to the very heart of the scourge of human trafficking, and is what makes Lord Morrow’s bill so important.
Lord Morrow, a Fermanagh and South Tyrone DUP MLA, is driving the Humanxa0Traffickingxa0and Exploitation Billxa0xa0in Stormont. His party colleague Strangford MLA Jonathan Bell supported his initiative on August 21 at the consultation launch, and said: “It is to our shame that we have more slavery today than at the time of Wilberforce and something must be done about it.”
Jonathan Bell, who worked with victims of sexual crime for 21 years prior to going into politics full time added:xa0″Great Christian men like William Wilberforce blazed a trail for the dignity and worth of everyxa0humanxa0being when he led the fight against slavery.xa0Today our society has gone into reverse and expert analysis is showing world-wide there are more slaves now than ever.
Mr Bell said: “In Northern Ireland we have witnessed some 27 victims recently being recovered by the excellent work of our Police with some 75 being rescued over the past three xa0years.”
In the Scottish Assembly, a motion (on 29 February acknowledged the work being done by agencies and statutory authories in addressing hunan trafficking, and called for the government to host a summit to shape thinking and policy in this area. However, in xa0an effort to force a bill through the Scottish Parliament in June, MSP Rhonda Grant did not receive the full support she sought.
O’Boyle Delivers Strong Appeal for Support for the Human Trafficking Bill at Stormontxa0
Councillor O’Boyle painted the grizzly picture to the Down District Councillors as to the extent of the human trafficking trade in Northern Ireland. She said xa0there are known to be at least 88 brothels in Northern Ireland with a minimumxa0of two prostitutes in each. Thesexa0are found in cities and towns across the Province.
The prostitutes are local and foreign, with some fromxa0China, Sub-Saharan Africa,xa0West Africaxa0andxa0Eastern Europe. Many are victims of sex trafficking by crime gangsxa0from thexa0UKxa0and other countries. Each of these 176 girls has sex with up to 5 men per day at a cost of £80 per half hour. The pimps pocket returns of £70,400 per day/ £492,000 per week.
“The annual turnover of prostitution in Northern Ireland is some £35 million per year, of which £30 million is clear profit added Councillor O’Boyle.
“Prostitution is Northern Ireland’s most successful business, with Moy Park coming second with a turnover of £27 million and Almac making a mere £18.6 million by comparison.
“The European average age for a child becoming a prostitute is 14 years with many as young as 10-13 years. Some are sold on the streets ofxa0Londonxa0for £16,000 and conscripted by gangs into a life of slavery and prostitution.
“75% of all prostitutes start work at the age of 18.xa0Many have been groomed and most come fromxa0homesxa0in which they were abusedxa0and vulnerablexa0children.
“Since 2005 the numbers of men using prostitutes has doubled. Those agencies at the forefront ofxa0the war against human trafficking are quite clear about the reasons why this unspeakable practice is flourishing in NI. They say quite simply that demand is driving supply. However, while kerb-crawling, running a brothel and pimping are the only activities that at present are outlawed, the men-the customers -xa0who create the demand are untouchable. Lord Morrow’s bill would finally tackle this anomaly in the law, and make these men culpable as well.
“Men know full well that to some extent there is coercion and abuse in prostitution. They know that many of the women they use have been lured, tricked or trafficked. This new law will make many think twice before offering to pay a woman to have sex with him.xa0If being caught and charged means that he has a criminal record, then he is unlikely to want his family or employer to find out. Public exposure in the local press, or being issued with an ASBO may be just the deterrent that isxa0needed to put a stop to his demand.”
Councillor O’Boyle cited Psychologist Melissa Farley who said: ‘xa0Prostitution harms both women and men. Men who view women as objects may have difficulty in sustaining interest in normal relationships. This is not healthy sexuality for men either, and damages them too.’
“It is the unsavoury fact that some men are prepared to pay for the services of a prostitute that is the very nub of the problem of human trafficking. It is this demand that drives supply and ruthless gangs are there to provide vulnerable women and children for them,” added Councillor O’Boyle.
“Right in our midst we have vulnerable peoplexa0who are exploited byxa0parasites who feed off their misery for monetary gain, and by their customers, for sexual gratification.
“Our aim should be to make Northern Ireland a dangerous place for human traffickers and their customers. We need to make NI a safe place for the vulnerable people they exploit.
“We need to educate our young men and young women about the horrors ofxa0humanxa0exploitation through prostitution,xa0and to ensure theyxa0allxa0know that it is not acceptable to subject another human being to such degradation.
“I therefore call on this Councilxa0 to write to the Assembly’s Human Trafficking Groupxa0which comprises members of all political parties,xa0asking them to support, as Down District Council does,xa0xa0allxa0aspects of Lord Morrow’sxa0Human Trafficking and Exploitation Bill,xa0before the consultation period ends on 18 October.
“In addition to this, I call on this Council to write to the Department of Justice, asking them to produce an annual strategy on raising awareness of, and reducing human trafficking.”
In making her presentation, Councillor O’Boyle insisted on the vote in the Council Chamber being recorded.
Useful links:
http://www.justice.ie/en/JELR/Pages/PB12000187
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2011/feb/06/sex-traffick-romania-britain
