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Women freed after sex trafficking raid
9:37am Thursday 3rd July 2008
Comments (23)SEX slaves have been rescued from properties in Bournemouth as part of a national clampdown on human trafficking.
Ten women forced into prostitution have been released from captivity by Dorset Police, who are certain there are more women suffering in the county.
They are urging members of the public to be alert and to report suspicious activity near their homes and are even asking men who use prostitutes to let them know if the women appear to be frightened or subdued.
Police believe there could be many more victims being forced to work as prostitutes, often in houses in residential areas.
Detective Superintendent Steve Bartlett said four Thai, five Chinese and one Malaysian women were found after a total of 29 premises, mainly in the Bournemouth area, were visited.
The searches formed part of the national Operation Pentameter Two, which freed a total of 167 victims from the clutches of sex traffickers across the UK and Ireland in a six-month period.
Hampshire Police discovered 23 victims in their searches.
"Tackling human trafficking, particularly for sexual exploitation, is a high priority for Dorset Police and we are continually seeking information to help us disrupt this evil trade and bring the perpetrators to justice," said Det Supt Bartlett. "These traffickers may operate their business anywhere in the community - people may notice suspicious activity such as large numbers of different male visitors or premises where curtains are continually drawn."
He stressed anyone who reports suspicious activity will be treated in confidence. Those with information are asked to call Dorset Police on 01202 222222 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
Charities aiming to help victims have urged the government to provide more funding for safe houses across the south of England. The Medaille Trust is a Catholic organisation set up with specific aim of helping people forced into the sex trade. It currently runs two safe houses and its members have spoken out to demand better treatment for victims.
"We have been offered at least six other houses and we would love to use them for trafficking victims. We have not been able to do this because we need sustainable funding from the government," said a spokesman.
The views were shared by the Pastor of Wimborne Baptist Church, Rev Robert Jones, whose church is twinned with another in Bulgaria, where many victims come from.
"My concern is what happens to these women after the police raids. They end up entering our deportation system but it would be encouraging if they were treated with a bit of sympathy."
Sorry this story disappeared for a while this morning due to technical problems
Your Say YourBournemouth Echo
gunters goonies, christchurch says...
1:55pm Thu 3 Jul 08
derek, dorset says...
3:50pm Thu 3 Jul 08
mccherry, dorset says...
4:21pm Thu 3 Jul 08
hoppity, hamworthy says...
4:25pm Thu 3 Jul 08
rayc, Poole says...
4:36pm Thu 3 Jul 08
PokesdownMark, Pokesdown says...
5:39pm Thu 3 Jul 08
Have you seen the type of men who use prostitutes...
Actually I haven't.... but it sounds like you have. So I'm curious about how that would happen. Not trying to be smart... just interested.
HAL101, Bournemouth says...
5:50pm Thu 3 Jul 08
Mainland Europe has properly organised (and taxed) brothels and 'brothel streets'. It is about time the UK organise this too. The present situation makes the UK look absurd. And with AIDs about it is really dangerous.
I am very surprised that, with fresh tax money in the offering, Gordon hasn't leaped at this with the speed and agility of a Greyhound start at a race meeting! I suspect someone may have put her foot down on this one.
HAL101, Bournemouth says...
5:52pm Thu 3 Jul 08
rayc wrote:Very good point!
mccherry, that was my post in which I pointed out that the Echo were part of the problem being happy to profit from the trade by accepting adverts for massage and escort services. They know, and we know, what is actually being provided and that girls taking part in it do it mainly under durress and threats.
No wonder you were deleted!!
Gastines, St.Malo ex Bournemouth says...
5:59pm Thu 3 Jul 08
Emulated, Bournemouth says...
6:27pm Thu 3 Jul 08
mccherry wrote:Removed mine also. As I said, the Echo is out to make money, fair enough. Its not an independant paper because it gets big money from local councils through advertising and doesen't want to lose that. Ads for services are also big money when you know the costs and how often these people advertise. Makes it easier for the police though, go in as a client and see whats offered.
Why have the Echo deleted the post that pointed out that they are quite happy to accept adverts for these services in it`s pages whilst reporting the illegal trade it involves ? Embarresed perhaps ? PS how long till this is censored ?
Chris McColl, Bournemouth says...
8:19pm Thu 3 Jul 08
durrrr it is, and always has been.
Probably far less regulated than most other 'professions'. No license, certificate of competence or any qualification of any kind required at all.
ROBBIE, Bournemouth says...
9:08pm Thu 3 Jul 08
crane, Ferndown says...
9:10pm Thu 3 Jul 08
fiona, Bournemouth says...
9:51pm Thu 3 Jul 08
hoppity, hamworthy says...
11:42pm Thu 3 Jul 08
Chris McColl wrote:have i missed something here I was not aware it was a legal profession I thought you broke the law when charging for sex i must be thicker than I realised durrr.
" thats why we should legalise prostitution in this country " durrrr it is, and always has been. Probably far less regulated than most other 'professions'. No license, certificate of competence or any qualification of any kind required at all.
skysurfer, Bournemouth says...
7:35am Fri 4 Jul 08
That's why brothels and these trafficking places are closed down.
The Echo is not acting illegally in carrying sex adverts but some of the advertisers living off the earnings of sex workers who advertise, will be acting unlawfully.
So you can't really blame the Echo - it's rather like a legal car advert where the trader turns out to be a crook.
Same goes for sex adverts - many will be single women and men legally advertising their services - some desperately because that's their only source of income.
Others will use the adverts for illegal purposes such as trafficking and brothels.
And as someone says - without the ads the police wouldn't know who to investigate.
Get real people - I have never been to a prostitute but it is the oldest profession.
So I agree it should be legalised and then the illegal operations could be more easily identified and stamped out.
gunters goonies, christchurch says...
9:05am Fri 4 Jul 08
Well as a teenager many years ago, driving back from bournemouth, we used to do the prozzzie run througth boscombe,
we have all done it...and there you see some funny sights. Also do you not watch the news on tv. Or even the police camera shows.
fiona, Bournemouth says...
9:22am Fri 4 Jul 08
The law is complicated. The act of one consenting adult paying another for sex is NOT actually illegal. So, a woman who works on her own, in her own house and charges people for sex is NOT breaking the law.
But the laws that exist around it make it almost impossible to carry out prostitution legally.
To put it as simply as possible...
Brothels are illegal - that's a room where more than one woman works - even if they work on different days or at different times. A massage parlour is normally a classier name for a brothel.
It's also illegal to live off immoral earnings - that could include pimps, massage parlour managers, and receptionists.
It's illegal to advertise for sexual services - though not to advertise massage or escort services like those in the papers and on the internet. It's also quite likely that people renting a house and using it as a brothel are committing planning and tenancy offences. At a street level it's illegal to solicit for trade, and curb-crawling is illegal.
fiona, Bournemouth says...
9:30am Fri 4 Jul 08
prostitutes to advertise in its classified section
But some people could argue it's breaking moral and ethical laws
laurie marsh, australia says...
2:39pm Fri 4 Jul 08
They have to be kidding!
Not too many of these people belong to the Salvation Army, (at least I wouldnt think so!).
I very much doubt if many of them would, (a) report to the police that they had frequented such a place and (b) that they had been a part of a culture that had made use of a "sex slave"!
That (I would think) would make them criminally liable!
PETE WOODLEY, says...
6:10pm Fri 4 Jul 08
dancingdog777, Christchurch says...
1:07pm Sun 6 Jul 08
The Echo have knowingly carried adverts for prostitution for many years. THAT is living off immoral earnings!
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michael carpenter, BOSCOMBE says...
10:17am Thu 3 Jul 08