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Britain to crack down on customers of enslaved prostitutes
by Scott Gilbreath ~ November 19th, 2008
The British government has announced plans to make it illegal to pay for sex with women who have been trafficked or are otherwise controlled by a pimp. The change is intended to combat human trafficking in the UK.
Men who have sex with women who have been trafficked or forced into prostitution will face prosecution under a shake-up of vice laws unveiled today by Home Secretary Jacqui Smith.
Ms Smith said the tough new approach will mean there are “no more excuses” for men who use the country’s estimated 80,000 prostitutes.
Under the changes, paying for sex with a woman “controlled for another’s gain” will become a “strict liability offence” in England and Wales, meaning prosecutors will not have to prove that the man knew a prostitute was being exploited in order to charge him.
Ignorance of the woman’s circumstances will be no defence and those convicted will get a criminal record and a fine of up to £1,000.
If a man arrested under the new law knows that the woman has been forced to prostitute herself, he could be charged with rape and given a jail sentence.
The proposed law would also allow arrest of first-time kerb crawlers and give police broader powers to shut down brothels.
According to police estimates, the law would potentially apply to customers of 70 percent of prostitutes now working in England and Wales.
A spokesman for a group called the English Collective of Prostitutes claims the proposals would make prostitution “more dangerous” for women, but offers no suggestions to help rescue women who have been trafficked or otherwise compelled to work as prostitutes.
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