The value of human life.
…forced to have sex and faced ice-cold baths, starvation and beatings if she did not do as she was told.
Aged 12 she ran away from her home in Albania and forced into prostitution in Germany. She ended up feeling suicidal and was eventually *rescued* in a police raid.
"Sometimes you think you will kill yourself or try to run away. If they catch you, it’s the worst thing."
Yet now she faces extradition back to Albania where she is terrified the whole pattern will begin again but this time she is older. At 20 and scarred she won’t be as valuable, won’t bring in as much money. She doesn’t want to go back and who can blame her.
However, Home Secretary Jacqui Smith has said she could not give any guarantees that victims would not be deported after being rescued.
So Anna get’s forced into prostitution, ends up in the UK, is *rescued* and will now be forced to go back and probably end up back where she started. How is that right? How exactly does that help? Anna is one of thousands of trafficked women in the UK, one of who knows how many British women trapped in prostitution. Then they get arrested and prosecuted for soliciting and that is so very wrong too. These women don’t need to be dragged through the courts, they need help, support to get out and live. How can we live in a society that tolerates encourages men to pay to rape? Would we be better embracing the Swedish idea?
...essentially, doesn’t criminalise marginalised women for prostituting themselves, instead it criminalises the men who pay to rape.
Sounds ideal to me. It’s the men who have the choice and the power here. They choose to rape and abuse these women, they can choose not to. Or the Italian model?
Italy is considering imposing on-the-spot fines on prostitutes’ clients, the interior minister says.
Giulio Amato also revealed plans to serve legal papers in clients’ homes in order to shame them.
Embarrassment would work. Sweden and Norway have penalties of up to 6 months in jail for the men caught although sadly few are convicted and most get a fine rather than a jail term.
I read a new article recently (and can I find it to link to now? Did I bookmark it for later? Did I bollocks!) Ipswich police are now working WITH the prostitutes and trying to help and support while arresting the johns instead.
Now while their methods and *support* might not be ideal (I don’t know, I’m not there or part of the situation) It’s got to be a step in the right direction surely?
There’s a Petition to sign.
Oh look, Jacqui Smith again - maybe she needs some fan mail?
