Treatment of prostitutes and clients

throwa20

What happens when the guards catch a prostitute? In my local paper, it says that ''a woman was arrested and taken for questioning. A file is being prepared for the DPP. Enquiries into prostitution in the town are continuing.''

What is the procedure here? How can they prove that she is a prostitute? Does the woman face prosecution alone? Do the guards go after her clients? If so, how do they find them? Can the woman face jail time? How is she treated in comparison with her clients after arrest?

I suspect a friend of a friend is involved in the industry and I am looking for some info on the whole thing. It's not something I'm familiar with.

Thanks in advance

edit: I don't normally browse this forum, so I hope it doesn't break any charter rules. I'm looking for a more general discussion about what happens to prostitutes and clients after the guards discover them. I'm not looking for specific advice here

Fred Swanson

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throwa20

Fred Swanson wrote: »

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I think she was working in an apartment with another girl. But I'm not sure on that one. Maybe she was alone.

It seems unfair if her clients get away with it and she gets prosecuted. She is not a bad person, just in a bad situation.

Do the guards go through her phone or anything?

I presume it is too late at this stage as the paper said 'a file is being prepared for the DPP'....?

Fred Swanson

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LoveCoke

throwa20 wrote: »

I think she was working in an apartment with another girl. But I'm not sure on that one. Maybe she was alone.

It seems unfair if her clients get away with it and she gets prosecuted. She is not a bad person, just in a bad situation.

Do the guards go through her phone or anything?

I presume it is too late at this stage as the paper said 'a file is being prepared for the DPP'....?

why is your number in it?

throwa20

LoveCoke wrote: »

why is your number in it?

:rolleyes:

Fred Swanson

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Dandelion6

Fred Swanson wrote: »

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Not necessarily, there's a big lobby for it to be changed but the Minister for Justice hasn't said he agrees with it.

At the moment only the lady can be prosecuted. Normally it is for public order offences if she is on the street looking for business. You do hear occasionally of clients being done for soliciting sex in a public place normally from undercover police officers.

Public soliciting is an offence for both parties. Not all sex workers are "ladies" btw.

LowKeyReturn

Fred Swanson wrote: »

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Even if there were numbers in the phone and they could prosecute the clients I doubt the presence of a phone number would be enough.

I really hope we don't get into a position where the limited resources of the Gardai are being used to police yet another area of society that should be left to personal choice.

Fred Swanson

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Hippo

LowKeyReturn wrote: »

I really hope we don't get into a position where the limited resources of the Gardai are being used to police yet another area of society that should be left to personal choice.

Without wishing to derail the thread completely, prostitutes themselves may not always be acting as such out of 'personal choice'.

LowKeyReturn

Hippo wrote: »

Without wishing to derail the thread completely, prostitutes themselves may not always be acting as such out of 'personal choice'.

I'm aware of the arguments - to put it succinctly - I don't believe the Swedish model makes the situation any better. The German model is far from perfect either. I actually think we've a pretty good system as it stands, however, it could do with some policing. It wouldn't be difficult for the gaurds to arrange appointments and simply ask the girl if she is being trafficked and provide information to them.

Prostitutes in Ireland are so cheap and so easily accessed that there is very little reason to go to some 'underground' market. Making it illegal would change that and in, my opinion, change the dynamic of what's available out there.

I have a firm belief there are more people trafficked into working in chippers than there are prostitutes but it's not a very scientific method used to come to my conclusion. That said it's about as valid as many of the arguments in this debate.

Hippo

That's fair enough, and I know the Swedish model has its imperfections. I'm just not sure it can the whole area can be simply described as one of personal choice.

LowKeyReturn

Hippo wrote: »

That's fair enough, and I know the Swedish model has its imperfections. I'm just not sure it can the whole area can be simply described as one of personal choice.

Agreed but I still don't see how criminalising it, from either side, weeds that out.

It's exactly the same situation with the 'war on drugs'. Adopt the Portuguese and Swiss approach and allow the Gardai to crack on with more important matters.

Dandelion6

LowKeyReturn wrote: »

I'm aware of the arguments - to put it succinctly - I don't believe the Swedish model makes the situation any better. The German model is far from perfect either.

The New Zealand model is regarded as best practice by the UN, it brings the industry into the general labour rights framework and gives the workers occupational health and safety protections. NZ sex workers have very good things to say about it which is more than can be said for the Swedish model or the German model for that matter.

As for the issue of choice there are certainly people doing it for lack of other options, but the same is true for people in a lot of low status jobs (and taking that option away won't magically make others appear). There are a lot of allegations about people literally being forced into it but very little hard evidence at least in Ireland. That's not to say it doesn't happen but I don't see any reason to think it happens often or that it amounts to a significant proportion of the industry.