Papers and Publications

Due to circumstances beyond my control ( sigh ) I have had to cancel my London tour at short notice. Sorry but family comes first and I have some availability in Glasgow on Thursday / Friday, after that I am fully booked for the weekend.

Some time ago a sister organisation of Eaves published a paper claiming that since the introduction of lap dancing clubs in Camden, the number of reported rapes increased by 50%. Yes, 50%.
Since the publication of the original report, The Guardian published an apology and cited the real figure as 30%.

Dr. Brooke Magnanti PhD, ( the original Belle de Jour ) has since published a paper ;

"The impact of adult entertainment on rape statistics in Camden:a re-analysis."

I've included a link for you here ; http://www.scribd.com/doc/47185652/Green-Paper-Camden-Lilith-rape-stats

How wonderful to have an academic, former sex worker highlight the flaws in the "research" and processing of information involved in the original Eaves report.

Meanwhile, Jerome Taylor published a piece in The Indie about a concerted effort on the part of the police to open a dialogue between sex workers and the police in an effort to prevent further attacks such as Bradford and Ipswich.

The link is here for you ;

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/regulating-sex-industry-would-protect-women-says-police-chief-2171121.html

It is certainly a step in the right direction, as is setting up a nationwide "Ugly Mugs " scheme, so that sex workers can share information on violent clients, but it is not enough. What we need is the decriminalisation of all sex workers so that two women may work in a flat together without fear of prosecution and if the Police really want to open the channels of communication then surely this would be a valuable first step. Rather then operate in fear of the police, sex workers should feel able to contact the police to discuss any concerns they may have, this action alone could and will save lives.

Another article in The Indie caught my eye too, based on underage prostitutes working on the streets in terror of pimps -

Most evenings two or three gutsy women board a minibus. They drive around the local red-light spots – streets frequented by prostitutes, the town centre, parks and seedy bed & breakfasts. They are looking for trouble or at least the potential for it: children vulnerable to sexual exploitation.

"If we see a 13-year-old girl with a can of beer on the streets or in a park at 10.30 at night, we stop," says Wendy Shepherd, the leader of the teams of specialist workers at the child sexual exploitation unit of children's charity Barnardo's in the North-east of England.

Sometimes they confront the pimps. They can be faced with harrowing situations such as the aftermath of sexual assaults. They work into the early hours.

Whilst I absolutely applaud the actions of the women concerned, it should not be their role to confront the pimps and deal with the aftermath of what amounts to sexual assault of a minor. Where are the police ? How about, instead of raiding working flats where there are ladies working of their own volition and who ( shock - horror ) really enjoy their work, the police concentrate their efforts on the vulnerable, the weak, those who are too scared to do anything to change their lives ?

LL xx