Plan to criminalise buyers of sex

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MSPs are being asked to change the law and criminalise the purchase of sex.

The "End Prostitution Now" campaign, launched by Glasgow City Council, aims to create "no hiding place for the pimps, punters and brothel keepers".

It is pushing for legislative changes to create a range of offences designed to target the purchase of sex.

These would target buyers of sex, those who arrange or advertise sex, and those who provide accommodation where the sale of sex takes place.

A website has been created asking for public support for changes in the law.

Glasgow City Council's depute leader, Councillor James Coleman, has spearheaded the city's response to the issue of prostitution for the past 10 years.

He told BBC Radio Scotland's Good Morning Scotland programme: "We know the drugs issue is a big problem for some women who are involved in prostitution, but that's not the only issue.

We really do need an approach that accepts this is work, that accepts that this is how many many people earn a living and that they choose to do that out of a range of jobs that are open to them Ruth Morgan-ThomasScot-Pep

"For instance there are dozens of women who are trafficked into Glasgow from all over the world and we feel that the only way you are going to tackle prostitution is to tackle the demand and that means the market itself, the people who use these women and pay the money."

Councillor Coleman said he did not believe it was an uphill struggle.

He added: "We've got to target indoor prostitution which we know goes on. When they brought in kerb-crawling legislation some of the prostitution went indoors.

"If you're going to sell something, you are going to advertise it and if you advertise it, we'll catch you. What it means is anyone buying sex or involved in the selling of sex - it will become a criminal offence, as it is in Sweden.

"This is a tremendous opportunity for Scotland to be the first country in the UK to go this far and actually try to outlaw prostitution."

'Challenging demand'

West Renfrewshire Labour MSP Trish Godman said she planned to propose changes to planned and existing legislation at Holyrood in the coming weeks.

She said: "We believe these amendments present a simple but devastatingly effective means of challenging demand for prostitution.

"Introducing these amendments as law would ensure that anyone involved in the purchase, marketing or facilitation of sexual services would be criminalised whether these acts took place on the street or indoors.

"Every shred of evidence indicates that prostitution is inherently harmful. It is incredible that something which so clearly breaches an individual's right to dignity, equality, respect and physical and mental well-being has gone unhindered for so long."

The campaign is targeting men who pay for sex

The campaign is also being supported by Strathclyde Police, but not everyone is in favour.

Ruth Morgan-Thomas, from the charity Scot-Pep, which offers advice and support to sex industry workers in Edinburgh, said she was "strongly opposed" to the campaign being led by Councillor Coleman.

The former sex worker told Good Morning Scotland: "He talks a lot about Sweden and the impact of the legislation there has been big.

"It has driven sex workers underground and made them more vulnerable by making them open to greater exploitation and it hasn't eradicated prostitution.

She said she shared Councillor Coleman's aim of trying to stop the abuse within the sex industry.

But she added: "We don't do that by stopping the sex industry - that just makes sex workers more vulnerable.

"I think we really do need an approach that accepts this is work, that accepts that this is how many many people earn a living and that they choose to do that out of a range of jobs that are open to them."