Mixed reaction in Bristol to new powers to tackle prostitution
Residents and traders in an area of Bristol notorious for prostitution and kerb crawling have given a mixed reaction to new legislation to tackle the problem.
Paying for sex with prostitutes controlled by pimps is to become a criminal offence in England and Wales, following an announcement by Home Secretary Jacqui Smith yesterday.
A man who pays for sex with a woman who has been trafficked or is under the control of a pimp could face a charge of rape, police will have new powers to close brothels and there will be more "naming and shaming" of kerb crawlers.
Fishponds Road is well known for street walkers and men picking up prostitutes in cars, but not everyone who lives there is convinced new powers will make any difference.
David and Veronica Webb, aged 26 and 25, live in the area. They say they regularly see women selling sex and that kerb crawlers have approached Veronica outside her house.
David said: "They are outside all day. It causes a lot of trouble, it's not just kerb crawling."
Veronica said: "There aren't any pimps, they're boyfriends. Women can get away when they want to. It's all drug related. The police aren't doing anything about it."
A member of staff at a shop in Fishponds Road, who did not wish to be named, expressed his frustration.
He said: "What if your family was going past, what would you say?
"What are the police going to do? They just get a warning. You need a tough law, otherwise it will be a waste of time. You need younger politicians who know what's going on."
Yesterday's Post reported the problems with the sex trade suffered by people living at East Park Drive, Eastville.
Residents have complained of sex workers taking customers to a former garage block at night, of pimps threatening people who complain and of sex and drug-related litter, including condoms and needles.
Tony Locke, chairman of the Eastville Residents' Group, welcomed any new legislation to address the situation.
He said: "Anything that tackles kerb crawlers has got to be a good thing.
"They also talk about residents' groups, and we used to do a street watch. Three of us would go out and report the number of kerb crawlers to the police.
"If they're going to involve residents like that I think it's a good thing. They're focusing on pimps but most of these girls are there because of drugs.
"In Portland Square they've had Eastern European girls brought in, there's not many in this area though.
"They want more resources put into the exit strategy, what they do when they leave the lifestyle.
"I live in East Park Drive – right outside my house used to be very bad.
"Further down Fishponds Road there is still quite a problem, especially for mothers taking their kids to school."
9 Comments
View all
by Cheryl, Bristol
Thursday, November 20 2008, 7:41PM
“Come on guys stop being so judgemental, CT has a valid point.
Prostitution is the oldest profession in the world and is never going to disappear. Unfortunately it has been created by a patriachal society. Until women get treated with more respect and get equal pay and education etc many of the more vunerable women in society are going to have no choice but to go into a life of prostitution. People go into prostitution for many reasons and if there wasn't the demand then they would have no work.”
by GingerRog, Bristol
Thursday, November 20 2008, 7:23PM
“So, you would really like Prostitutes sat in a window, amongst shops where you can buy some coffee, where you live in Bristol and the surrounding areas, openly dealing in sex.
I don't think so.”
by Gary, Cornwall
Thursday, November 20 2008, 4:40PM
“Any man that would consider using a legalised brothels concerns me, no wonder wrongly presume all men are perverts. Find love dudes, nothing beats making love rather than having sex.”
by CT, BRistol
Thursday, November 20 2008, 4:24PM
“Good point Grahame.
I'd like to say surely it's time we had legalised brothels like Holland, Belgium, Australia where the girls surely are safer and can hopefully get away from the Pimp/Drugs problem.
It's never going to go away.”
by Grahame, Central Bristol
Thursday, November 20 2008, 3:32PM
“Most reasonable men wouldn't have a problem with considering sex with a trafficked woman against her will as rape. I'm sure most reasonable men would be happy to see less street prostitution and street crime. But I also think that maybe an awful lot of decent men resent being thought of as the problem by gender sensitive politicians.
I recall a female civil service manager who told me she wouldn't go out with a chap if he wasn't wealthy enough to show her a good time, foreign holidays, meals, jewelry etc. Some women trade sex for money for drugs, and some others are less blatant and think trading sex for favours isn't prostitution at all.
It might make a good soundbite for a feminist to say men shouldn't pay for sex, but one way or another many of us end up doing precisely that. I never went out with that civil service manager. No one wants to be appreciated for the size of their wallet. But I'm a male - and in our society males are the oppressors and women are the victims. Or so we're continually being told! Anyone heard of misandry?”