Ruhama, the group supporting women affected by prostitution has said
that the call for the legalisation of prostitution is misguided.
Geraldine Rowley, spokesperson for Ruhama, was speaking after
newly-elected Independent TD from Wexford, Mick Wallace, called for the
legalisation of prostitution.
While Ms Rowley welcomed Mr Wallace’s
concern, she said in countries where prostitution is legalised, it does
not make any difference to the women. “They are still subject to abuse
and violence.”
“When you legalise it, you legitimise it. When you legitimise it, then you normalise it,” she told ciNews.
Germany and Holland, where prostitution is legal, both have huge
sex-trafficking and prostitution problems.
Holland is currently
re-evaluating its legislation.
Ruhama is calling instead for legislation along the lines of the law in Sweden, which criminalises the purchase of sex.
“We need to make it a crime to purchase another person for sex,” she said.
In Sweden the law has had the effect of cutting off demand and
culturally, it has made prostitution unacceptable.
As a result, the sex
trade has decreased.
Ruhama estimates there are about 1,000 women involved in the sex
trade in Ireland today.
“We are still seeing large numbers of women
being prostituted and quite a lot of activity of criminal gangs in every
county in Ireland,” she said.
The enormous profits to be made from operating brothels was
demonstrated earlier this month when T. J. Carroll, a criminal serving a
seven year jail sentence in Wales for controlling prostitution and
money laundering, was ordered to pay €2.2m or face another ten years in
prison.
Mr Carroll, from Bagenalstown in Carlow, had run 35 brothels
north and south of the border.
Although comprehensive human trafficking legislation was introduced
in Ireland in 2008, no one has yet been convicted under this act.
“It is hard to catch people on a charge of human trafficking, but you
can bring people before the courts on the charge of organising
prostitution,” said Ms Rowley.
However, Ruhama says the penalties for
this crime, are too low and need to be strengthened.
The organisation has also called for legislation to address the role
of technology in advertising and organising prostitution, so that Gardaí
can shut down access to the trade that occurs through mobile phones or
the internet.
In the case of T. J. Carroll for example, he was able to
run his incredibly lucrative illegal business from Wales, using 80
different mobile phones.
Meanwhile a new EU directive adopted by the European Council this
week, and legally binding for all EU states, provides for specific
treatment of human trafficking victims.
The new directive takes a victim-centred approach to cover actions in
different areas, such as criminal law provisions, prosecution of
offenders, victims’ support and victims’ rights in criminal proceedings.