to feel really sad when murder victims are described as "Prostitutes"

[Ladyanonymous]

• Sadly yet another spate of street workers being murdered, this time in Bradford.

Why, when the press report this do they desribe these woman as "prostitutes" and not just "woman"?

AIBU to feel really sad to hear women described like this in 2010, have we not moved on from defining people by the fact they were in a position that they needed to sell sex to survive. That is just one dimension of their lives - but makes people "downgrade" their death somehow or dismiss it.

Its like they are a third species, if the woman was a waitress she would still be described as a woman for example Claudia Lawrence is described as "the chef Claudia Lawrence".

I just wonder how it feels for the friends and families of the victims to hear that every time its mentioned in the press, it must double the pain.

They may have taken a turn in life most would not understand, but they were still people, with personalities, with lives and were loved and cared for by their parents and friends and children.

They are not just "prostitutes"

Um, the papers always seem to report what a person does. Claudia Lawrence is often described as a chef, everytime the McCanns are in the paper the are described as a GP and a heart surgeon. They may simply be trying to explain why these women were out on the street late at night.

another spate? There's been one afaik but - have there been more then?

The press always identify what people do though, perhaps so that people can identify with them more.

Also if there are several killings that fit one particular demographic, it is helpful to know who the victims are to A, give an idea of what kind of person the police are looking for ie someone who uses prostitutes, and B, put other women at ease who might be afraid for their own safety at a time when numerous women are being murdered. You might feel more at ease if you know you don't fit the demographic being targeted..

They always tend to refer to all victims of murder by their occupation/position in life, including prostitutes. I've lost count of the number of 'models' (how many times have you read that a victim of murder/rape was an 'aspiring model'? Loads. And 'Straight A' student is always the phrase to describe any teenager who was just normal and well-behaved, and didn't have an ASBO, as opposed to a 'loveable rogue' which is newspaper speak for someone who came to an unfortunate sticky end who probably did have an ASBO.

The bottom line is that prostitutes are probably targeted and murdered because their lifestyle makes them easy prey, whereas as hairdresser or a chef isn't. It is an entirely relevant piece of information.

As you know, Jack the Ripper, Peter Sutcliffe and Steve Wright's victims were overwhelmingly prostitutes. If a mass murderer is loose then all women in the locality will feel vulnerable if he appears to be attacking totally at random, whereas if we know he is particularly targeting prostitutes it changes the picture hugely, and the police have a much better idea of what's required to catch him.

It is not because it doesn't matter that they are dead, or because they somehow asked for it - but it would be naive to think the detail is irrelevant. Also naive to think they would dead if they were not a prostitute.

Also, I have to take issue with your assumption that women in this country ever 'need' to sell sex to survive. But that's another matter.

According to the BBC though another prostitute has been missing from the same area since April and another since June last year. It does make it relevant that 3 women have disappeared, one murdered and they all had the same profession.

Also, if you were a Bradford prostitute, it might be useful to know that there may be a mass murderer going round killing prostitutes.

TheBride is right. It makes people aware that prostitutes are being targeted; prostitutes need to be more careful, other women can feel reassured.

OP, you seem to contradicting yourself. You object to the victim being described as a prostitute, and you seem to imply that the press are only interested in her dubious occupation, rather than focussing on the fact that she is just like any other woman - with a family, and a life. You use the phrase 'third species'.

But then you go on to say that other vitims are treated as real woman, and cite how Claudia Lawrence is always described as a chef, as though mentioning her occupation empowers her and lends respect and gravitas. I'm not sure what you are driving at.

Should we not mention that someone is a prostitute in case it shames them or their family?

It bothers me as well - why can it not be reported as someone who 'worked as a prostitute'?

I don't think that people reading it will in any way downgrade the seriousness of the murder because she was "just" a prostitute. I would guess that most decent people would feel saddened by the fact that someone has been murdered, and by the fact that circumstances in her life had made it difficult for her to keep herself safe from that kind of risk.

The prostitution aspect is relevant - as others have said, other prostitutes need to know and try to reduce their risks, and other women at least know that the attacks have not been completely random.

Agree with easyoption

And no - having worked with street workers in the past - no one choses to stand on the street (I am not talking about the high end here) and sell sex to strangers, just like no one chooses to wake up one day with an addiction (before that gets leapt on).

I think most other murder victims are described by their name first and then their profession.

I think being a prostitute is as much what and who you are as just what you do iyswim? You wouldn't say someone worked as a GP, you would say they are a GP.

I think its more of a vocation than a job???

Who knows in another 20 years there could even be an NVQ for it, theres one for every other bloody job these days,

IIRC, when the Ipswich murders were happening, that was how it was reported, easyoptionwoman. That they 'worked as prostitutes' rather than just 'were prostitutes'. It does give a different slant ie, it was their job, instead of defining them as a certain type of person, if that makes sense.

thesecondcoming...I doubt very much they are in that line of work for fun. I'm sure the vast majority of them have drug or alcohol addiction. But we are talking about the phrase survival and need here, are we not? Not funding addiction. I'm not saying it's at all easy or straightforward to get clean, and I know that most of these women will have very complicated dysfunctional lives and family histories. But I resent the implication that in Britain today women need to sell themselves for sex to survive i.e. put food on the table for their children. That is just not true - as many hundreds of thousands of women existing entirely on benefits without the need to prostitute themselves will tell you.

But if by need you mean needing to make several hundred pounds a week to spend on heroin, and if your idea of survival is having ready access to the drugs they've created their own need for, and as a basic human right like food and water, then what do you propose? That we hand out heroin for free? In the same envelope as their giro?

Tidey- I think it's semantics

In some articles it will say

"Chef Claudia Lawrence"

In others "Claudia Lawrence who worked as a chef"

Probably depends more on word count than any value judgements on behalf of the writer.

However, I do think it is relevant to mention that this poor woman was a prostitute because they are a vulnerable demographic group. It's actually more relevant to mention her job than if she was (eg) an accountant, because afaik there has never been a serial killer who has gone specifically for accountants, whereas there are many who exclusively attack prostitutes.

Other prostitutes need to be aware that there is a psycho on the loose

the secondcoming - so with reference to your last post, are you saying that the fact that the victim was a prostitute should be kept quiet or the sake of the feelings of her family?

Also, how do you know people are making moral judgements? The simple fact is that they are in a line of work that makes them vulnerable. It makes people less surprised by it - that's all. That in itself is not a moral judgement. You assume people make moral judgements, just because her occupation is mentioned.

Ladyanonymous - nobody, I repeat NOBODY just 'wakes up one morning' with an addiction.

They are described as prostitutes because that is what they are. It's a job title. It doesn't mean that is all they are or that they are all the same, in the same way that one female accountant is different from another female accountant and her job doesn't describe her persona.

I certainly don't make any moral judgements when I see it although I'm sure some will, for the simple reason some can't help making moral judgements. Maybe it makes them feel better about themselves

I agree with those that have said it can also act as a warning to other prostitutes in the area, although I don't think this is the press' intention when they do it.

I listened the the reports and thought similar things.

Normally a report says a "man" or "woman" has been murdered. Then it may go on to say the victim was "a 43 year old accountant" or some such. But a prostitute is defined by her occupation straightaway. This assumes of course that all prostitutes are women.

It also gives the impression that a murdered prostitute is not the same as another murder victim, who is defined by gender, then age, then occupation.