Government says no to managed prostitution zones

The government has announced its long-term strategy for reducing street prostitution, ruling out the idea of "managed zones" for prostitution.

The Prostitution Strategy promises better enforcement of laws against kerb-crawling and those who exploit prostitutes; more opportunities for women to leave prostitution, including better links between police and projects that work with prostitutes; and an increased focus on preventing children, particularly vulnerable children, from being lured into prostitution.

To reduce the demand for street prostitution and bring to justice those who exploit individuals through prostitution, the government and local authorities will encourage proactive policing of kerb-crawling by local police forces, and greater enforcement of penalties such as removal of driving licences from repeat offenders.

The Strategy proposes creating a new penalty for the offence of loitering or soliciting for prostitution, so that courts can direct women into services to help deal with drug or alcohol dependency treatment.

To ensure fewer people enter prostitution, reduce the harm it causes and offer routes out, the Government and local authorities will also ensure that drug treatment programmes, other health services, and supported accommodation are available to women who want to get out of prostitution; use the recently published UK Action Plan on Trafficking to target traffickers; expand the successful ‘Ugly Mugs’ scheme, already running in various areas, which informs prostitutes about violent punters in order to protect them, and link this system with Crimestoppers information; produce a guide to services available for women in prostitution who suffer violent or sexual crimes; ensure that ASBOs, Acceptable Behaviour Contracts and Intervention Orders are used in conjunction with local support projects, and do not stop prostitutes from getting help; and change the definition of a brothel so that two prostitutes can work together. Respondents said this was vital to increase the safety of women working in prostitution.

Home Office Minister Fiona Mactaggart said: "Prostitution blights communities and the lives of those who participate. While kerb-crawlers could choose not to pay for sex, women involved in prostitution often have very limited choices in life. They come from difficult backgrounds, might have drug problems or nowhere safe to live. I want them to have help and support to leave prostitution.

"The communities who suffer the side effects of prostitution end up with no choice over what happens on their streets - and they are the ones who see used condoms on the streets, who live in fear of innocent women being abused or attacked and who have the stigma of living in a red-light area.

"We will not eradicate prostitution overnight, but we must not condone this exploitative industry. I want to see a tough approach to kerb-crawling, combined with much better work to prevent children being drawn into prostitution and give those involved a route out."

(GB)