WUNRN
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/crime/7545868/First-men-arrested-for-using-prostitutes-under-new-laws.html -
01 Apr
2010
UK
- First Men Arrested for Using Prostitutes Under New Laws
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Text of UK Policing & Crime Act
2009:
______________________________________________________________________
Direct Link to Joint Statement by UK
Women's & Human Rights Organizations:
Clause 14 of UK Policing & Crime
Bill - A Crucial Step Towards Ending Commercial Sexual Exploitation
____________________________________________________________________
UK
- Victory for Women's & Human Rights Organizations in
Parliament
Stand
Against Sexual Exploitation in Lap Dancing & Prostitution
Equality
campaigners announce two major victories in the fight against commercial sexual
exploitation as Parliament passes the Policing and Crime Bill (1).
In a
move that has been described as one of the most profound changes in our law in
recent years (MP), Clause 13 (formerly 14) of the Bill puts the rights of
exploited women over those of punters and pimps by focusing the gaze of the
criminal law on the men who perpetuate commercial sexual exploitation by
choosing to buy women, children and men for sex. Clause 13 makes it an offence
to pay for sexualservices from someone who has been subjected to force.
This
is a huge achievement for the Demand change! Campaign (2) led by OBJECT (3) and
Eaves (4) and for the 67 women’s and human rights organisations (5) which
supported this Bill and which campaigned tirelessly to obtain justice for the
women, children and men who have for so long been exploited by the sex
industry. Many of these organisations attended the successful Demand Change!
Mass rally in Parliament Square just before the vote in the Lords calling on
Peers to ‘Vote for Women, not Pimps and Punters!’(6)
In
another triumph against sexism, the passing of the Policing and Crime Bill also
marks the success of the campaign by OBJECT and the Fawcett Society (7) to
regulate lap dancing clubs as part of the sex industry, not the leisure
industry. Lap dancing clubs clearly have more in common with sex shops and sex
cinemas than they do with a restaurants and bars. Clause 26 (formerly 27) of
the Bill is therefore crucial to allow local councils to apply more stringent
regulations on lap dancing clubs to protect the rights of women in the clubs
and to give local people the right to object to a lap dancing club opening in
their midst.
Crucially,
in the later stages of the Bill the Government responded to widespread concerns
felt across Parliament and backed by several prominent women’s and human rights
organisations (8) that the optional nature of the new licensing regime would
lead to a postcode lottery. In response to these concerns, a new
statutory duty has been introduced requiring Local Authorities to consult
locally if they have not adopted the new powers within a year. OBJECT and the
Fawcett Society will continue to work with local authorities and local people
to ensure that gender equality issues are at the heart of the licensing process
and that communities are no longer powerless to resist the spread of
commercialised sexism on their high streets.
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