English Collective of Prostitutes: Proposals are a brutality

Tuesday, 17, Jan 2006 12:00

The English Collective of Prostitutes has fiercely criticised the government's new strategy to tackle prostitution.

Branding them "a brutality", spokeswoman Cari Mitchell told politics.co.uk: "We disagree that clamping down on clients will help make women safer.

"All the evidence shows that clampdowns make the lives of women more dangerous.

"Most are single mothers who are just trying to put food on the table, and until they tackle that, these proposals are a waste of time.

"The government's proposals are not dealing with the fundamental issue and that is that poverty and debt and drug misuse are sending women into the sex industry."

If the proposals were to go ahead, she added, ministers would "have blood on their hands".

Today's proposals would see tougher penalties for kerb crawlers, but it would also make it an offence to loiter or solicit for prostitution.