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Original poster

Illegal to sleep with prostitutes below 21

40 replies

Hoebag · 02/04/2012 15:53

I was watching the Big Questions yesterday and one segment focused on Jon Manns private bill through Parliament,
This is to make it a crime to sleep with a prostitute who is under 21??

I was sat there thinking of this board funnily enough and what do you think of it?

I couldn't find an article sorry.

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Original poster
Hoebag · 03/04/2012 14:44

Yeah so much more vulnerable , I'd argue its one of the most dangerous proffessions (sp) , you're literally at the mercy of any nutter in a car that comes along.

I watched a doc on the crossbow cannibal not long ago , alot of serial killers start on prostitutes.

OP posts:
OldLadyKnowsNothing · 03/04/2012 14:11

I think generally, yes, streetworkers are younger, and much more vulnerable than a brothel worker.

Original poster
Hoebag · 03/04/2012 13:54

And I'm guessing (could be wrong) that more underage girls are on the street.

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OldLadyKnowsNothing · 03/04/2012 13:01

In the UK, it is legal to work as a prostitute, and it is legal to pay for the services of a prostitute, providing that she is over 18 and not trafficked. It is legal to work in a brothel (more than one prostitute using the same property, even if not at the same time) and it is legal to use her services in a brothel.

It is not legal to solicit in a public place, or to "kerbcrawl", so that addresses the street scene, where most abuse takes place.

It is not legal to profit from the control of prostitutes, ie run a brothel or be a pimp.

Police tactics and tolerances vary from area to area in practise, and the subject is highly politicised.

SardineQueen · 03/04/2012 12:08

There is a country where they have changed the law to make it illegal to buy sex (sweden maybe?) and I think it has worked well. I don't know much though others might know more.

KatAndKit · 03/04/2012 11:40

Well I am disappointed to learn that. And no wonder there have been no prosecutions. It ought to be illegal to buy sex. That would be the thing that would make the most difference if you ask me.

SardineQueen · 03/04/2012 11:30

No it's not illegal.

It used to be that it was illegal to be a prostitute if you were working from premises with more than one prostitute (ie a brothel) or soliciting on the street. Working by yourself from indoors was legal. Buying sex was legal in all circs but not kerb crawling I think.

They have made it illegal to buy sex from women who are being coerced or have been trafficked irrespective of if the person paying knows they are in that situation or not but I think there have yet to be any prosecutions Hmm

I am not sure whether it is illegal to pay for sex in a brothel or from someone soliciting on the street. I don't think it used to be but there have been some changes to the law to move away from the prostitutes being criminalised the whole time and the people buying them not doing anything wrong in the eyes of the law.

KatAndKit · 03/04/2012 11:00

Errr isn't paying for sex illegal anyway regardless of the age of the woman? Have I missed something?
If I have missed something here and it is only the prostitute that is breaking the law not the customer then something is badly wrong and the law should make it illegal to buy sex at all.

lovebunny · 03/04/2012 05:47

any legislation that helps protect young people from exploitation is worth trying.

SardineQueen · 02/04/2012 21:50

Agree that "sleeps with" in this context is dishonest.

And frankly in any sexual encounter it's not got much to do with sleeping Confused

TheWomanFormerlyKnownAsSGM · 02/04/2012 21:30

I agree with that Linerunner.

I find the euphemism questionable.

TheWomanFormerlyKnownAsSGM · 02/04/2012 21:29

I think there are so many things wrong with this and there are so many ways for it to go badly wrong. It's more of a knee-jerk reaction.

I can see the need to increase the age of employment in the sex industry to 21 and to extend it to lap-dancing clubs, strip clubs, 'glamour modeling' etc. to protect vulnerable young women. But, that only presumes that the sex industry isn't exploitative for women over the age of 21.

I think it just becomes a knot of who is more vulnerable.

I want to see the end to all of it and not half-baked legislation which deals with some things but not others.

LineRunner · 02/04/2012 21:28

I genuinely hate the expression 'sleep with' to mean sex.

Whe you use it to discuss people having sex with prostituted women and men, it masks the reality of the acts.

Original poster
Hoebag · 02/04/2012 21:26

How come Linerunner?

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fridakahlo · 02/04/2012 21:23

It's good on paper but might have the effect of driving those in the sixteen to twenty age group further underground. Also I suspect most pimps don't make a habit ofchecking the ID of the people they are exploiting.

LineRunner · 02/04/2012 21:23

I have a bit of a problem with the expression 'sleep with' being used to mean sex, especially when it's used in the sense of of 'sleep with prostitutes.'

Original poster
Hoebag · 02/04/2012 21:21

I agree I bet the fact a lot of them are turfed out at 16 does nothing to help.

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OldLadyKnowsNothing · 02/04/2012 21:19

Getting more money into the care system would make the biggest difference to street workers. Buggering around with ages of consent will do nothing to help them.

Original poster
Hoebag · 02/04/2012 21:15

It is stupid that 16 year olds are allowed to have sex, but horror gasp they get pregnant its wrong because they are not adults that is ridiculous.

But yeah back on tangent,
I dunno I think It will benefit some people but,
the impression I got was it was aimed at indoor prostitutes?
who essentially are more protected anyway.
I think the streets need some action in other ways.
Getting more laws there that criminalise the exploiters rather than the exploited.

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skrumle · 02/04/2012 20:18

I would argue that they should move the age of consent/marriage to 18 with some kind of allowance for people under that age to have sex with people within a few years of their age. Smoking is now 18, and I think 18 is a more suitable age to be viewed as an adult than 16.

SardineQueen · 02/04/2012 18:36

There are loads of anomolies

join the army
smoke
do the lottery vs other gambling
drink alcohol
etc etc

interesting that the lib dems focussed on the anomolies surrounding matters relating to sex

Original poster
Hoebag · 02/04/2012 17:57

I have always wondered though if you can have sex at 16 but arent an adult until 18, most kids are forced out of care at 16 , but again arent adults until 18.
can drive at 17 , but not an adult until 18 arrggh.

OP posts:
TrophyEyes · 02/04/2012 17:32

It's like applause...

Just... erm... mental?

KRITIQ · 02/04/2012 17:26

(trying to imagine what mental applause looks like! Grin )

TrophyEyes · 02/04/2012 17:22

I never thought I'd see the day where I'm mentally applauding a tory.

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