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12:49pm Friday 12th March 2010 in
Newspapers carrying prostitution advertisements should face the same penalties as men who pay to have sex with trafficked women, a campaign group has said.
Under new Government legislation, men can be prosecuted if they pay for sex with a trafficked woman, whether they knew about her situation or not.
Meanwhile, Croydon Community Against Trafficking (CCAT) said newspapers carrying ads for brothels are just as guilty for sustaining “a vile trade in human life” as the men who use them and should also be held criminally responsible.
Newsquest, the publisher of the South London Guardian series, banned the adverts from its 305 titles nationwide in 2008.
The company was persuaded there is a clear link between the adverts and women being trafficked for sex.
A CCAT spokeswoman said: “Newspaper publishers have a social and moral responsibility to ensure that they are not advertising illegal services in their pages - a simple phone call will demonstrate that many of the massage parlours advertised are actually brothels.
“Those that profit from people being sold against their will, are profiting from slavery, and this is completely unacceptable.
“Newsquest has taken a principled stand in this fight but other newspaper companies refuse to follow their example.
“Therefore we believe it is time for legislation to be introduced which criminalises the publication and distribution of the advertisements for brothels which are helping to sustain a vile trade in human life.
“It is high time publishers were made liable for what is advertised in their newspapers.”
CCAT welcomed news Labour ministers are considering criminalising publishers who run adverts for massage parlours and saunas.
A report into the sex industry, commissioned by MP Harriet Harman, showed more than 40 per cent of men access off-street prostitutes through local newspapers.
Comments(14)
theavengers
says...
2:25pm Sat 13 Mar 10
Scared of reprisals
says...
2:31am Sun 14 Mar 10
NastyMrTom
says...
11:37am Mon 15 Mar 10
mon chevalieer
says...
12:20pm Mon 15 Mar 10
NastyMrTom
says...
12:52pm Mon 15 Mar 10
mcblount
says...
12:55pm Mon 15 Mar 10
mon chevalieer
says...
2:50pm Mon 15 Mar 10
NastyMrTom wrote:lying about what? you must be confusing me with someone else
vote for whoever you please just make sure they're not lying halfwits that can't spell 'chevalier'
manboon
says...
8:17pm Mon 15 Mar 10
buck williams
says...
2:22pm Tue 16 Mar 10
Angela M
says...
9:19am Wed 17 Mar 10
concerned scoffer
says...
12:36pm Wed 17 Mar 10
NastyMrTom
says...
4:08pm Wed 17 Mar 10
miss moneyhoney
says...
6:36pm Wed 17 Mar 10
concerned scoffer wrote:there is nothing wrong with those comments scoffer ! xx
I noticed my sensible and honest post was removed for no obvious reason other than the fact I dared link the trafficking of these wretched women to weak immigration policies!!... so much for free speech on local newspaper forums eh ?
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Jan 77 says...
12:03pm Sat 13 Mar 10