FORCED INTO A LIFE OF VICE
Crackdown over online exploitation of vulnerable victims
A CAMPAIGN tackling trafficking and sexual exploitation launches today – asking the public to spot the signs of vulnerable people being forced into off-street prostitution.
WOMEN and men as young as 16 are being sexually exploited by criminal gangs who advertise their services online and force them into off street prostitution in residential flats across Glasgow.
Hundreds of adverts appear online daily offering the services of these vulnerable people who have been trafficked to work in the city of Glasgow – and now cops are calling on you to help the victims escape the behind closed doors sex exploitation.
One advert read: “We cater for every taste imaginable from busty to blonde Glasgow escorts, Asian and oriental, Latin, Russian, Polish, Eastern European, Indian escorts - your choice is endless.”
Today, Police Scotland launch their first ever campaign tackling trafficking and sexual exploitation, which will appear on social media and in poster form on public transport.
In Plain Sight, which has been launched ahead of National Anti-Slavery Day on October 18, aims to help the victims and put a stop to the millions of pounds the criminal gangs make.
One woman, who was trafficked to Scotland and rescued during a police operation in Glasgow, was forced into prostitution seven days a week, at least eight hours a day and her exploiters were charging £120 per hour.
She had been in Scotland for three months.
Assistant Chief Constable Gillian MacDonald, Crime and Protection Lead for Police Scotland, said: “Payment for sex is actually perpetuating gender-based violence.
“It is absolutely unacceptable and I will take any action that the law permits us to take to tackle those that are customers of people who are exploited and trafficked into the country specifically to enable criminal gangs to profit from.
“My message to anybody who thinks that buying sex is something acceptable in Scotland in 2018 is... I would ask them to reflect on the experience of the people that find themselves in that situation.
“Prostitution is rarely a choice, these people are being forced into selling their bodies to make money not for them but for criminal gangs and it is completely unacceptable.”
Since the start of this year, 44 women and two men have identified themselves as victims of trafficking for the purposes of sexual exploitation, and came forward to seek support. Of those, seven were girls under at the age of 18. Last year, 207 people identified themselves as victims of human trafficking in Scotland.
The victims are lured to the Scotland with the promise of work in professions such as cleaning or childminding.
Once they arrive in the UK, they are told they have to pay their travel and visa debt by working as a prostitute.
Most of the prostitution is off street and in residential flats across the city.
ACC McDonald said: “Sexual exploitation takes
place behind closed doors. Premises may be rented out short term from landlords or agencies who have no idea that their properties are being used for this purpose.
“Equally, there are landlords who may own numerous properties and who know exactly what is happening in those premises.”
Bronagh Andrew, who is the operations manager for trafficking survivors service TARA (Trafficking Awareness Raising Alliance), explained the issue is city wide.
She said: “Glasgow does have a flourishing off street sex industry and wherever you have off street prostitution there will be women trafficked in to meet that demand.”
She added: “It is happening all over. If you have look on some of the websites, you will see it is happening.
“Women will be delivered to people who are paying for sex. A purchaser of sex can book a women and a trafficker will drive her to him.
“I would be very surprised if there was a ward or area in the city where there wasn’t prostitution occurring in a residential premises.”
Police Scotland have tried a number of tactics to stop the flow of victims including working with Border Control and other European police forces. During a recent operation, the force worked with police in Ireland and Romania. It resulted in the arrest of seven people from an eastern European gang in Romania and a number of potential victims were rescued from sexual exploitation in Glasgow.
ACC MacDonald said: “We are absolutely committed to tackling this trade.
“The exploitation of women for sexual purposes is completely unacceptable.
She added: “We will target those who control, abuse and exploit others by working collaboratively with partners to ensure that Scotland is and remains a hostile environment to this trade.”
Justice Secretary Humza Yousaf added: “Human trafficking and exploitation are appalling abuses of human rights, leaving victims highly traumatised and living in fear. It is completely unacceptable these crimes are taking place in modern Scotland and we are determined to do all we can to support victims and target perpetrators.
“Police Scotland’s tough and targeted approach to tracking down the criminals profiting from this abuse is reaping results and I am pleased to support their latest campaign focussing on human trafficking and sexual exploitation.”
‘‘ Prostitution is rarely a choice, these people are being forced into selling their bodies