The London Daily News

30 March, 2010 10:25 (GMT +01:00)

London sex trade clampdown from April 1, working girls put at risk

News Desk

A change in the law from April 1 will criminalise anyone paying for sex under section 53 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003 which will allow the police to prosecute anyone who under 53A of the law is "paying for sexual services of a prostitute subjected to force etc."

The law also states that a person who commits the offence of promising to make a payment for sexual services of a prostitute will be in breach of the law and states that:

(b) a third person (C) has engaged in exploitative conduct of a kind likely to induce or encourage B to provide the sexual services for which A has made or promised payment, and

(c) C engaged in that conduct for or in the expectation of gain for C or another person (apart from A or B).

This will mean anyone from April 1 found by the police paying or providing for sexual services can be prosecuted in a criminal court.

The Police and the government will have the powers to close known brothels under the new laws, which could mean more working girls in the capital will be exposed to more danger by working alone in bed sits or the streets.

Only yesterday the Met Police issued an alert for any information on Paula Fields a prostitute who moved to London in about 1998 and lived in Highbury Grove N5, in a hostal/bedsit. She was known to work in the Queen's Drive area of Stoke Newington as a prostitute. It was here she was last seen on 13.12.00 getting into a red saloon car.

Paula Fields remains were found in a hold all bag dumped in the Regents Canal, she was 33 years of age when she was murdered.

photo credit: Paula Fields

Text Comments

Post a Text Comment

There are currently no Item comments.