Daily Record

Put online pimps out of business

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An online market place profiting from the misery of sexually exploited women has no place in modern Scotland.

Only blocking pimping sites and banning the purchase of sex will drag us into becoming a 21st century country which demands zero tolerance of violence against women.

Pimping sites have made it easier for trafficker­s and harder for victims, who are often raped by punters up to 10 times a day.

Any sale of sex undermines gender equality by saying it is OK to punt women as sexual commoditie­s.

This is not a message we want to send the generation­s of girls who follow.

Police do not have the resources to match the burgeoning traffickin­g market and they are all but powerless without adequate laws of enforcemen­t.

These websites make life more secure for trafficker­s but exacerbate dangers for sexually exploited women.

But any new legislatio­n must run in parallel with well resourced, clear exit strategies for prostitute­d women and support for traffickin­g victims.

It is crucial that women who were in the past criminalis­ed as sex workers have their conviction­s expunged.

These women were not “sex workers” who broke the law, they were victims of sexual violence in an unjust Scotland.

Today, our country is still failing women but by banning access to pimping sites, large numbers of trafficker­s will be pushed out of business.

It has had a huge impact in the United States and France, so it can and must happen here. STAMP OUT THE SEX FOR SALE SITES

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