Government urged to tackle problem of sex trafficked women

THE Government was yesterday told to urgently tackle the problem of women being trafficked into Ireland’s growing sex trade.

It comes as research reveals 76 women were known to have been brought into the country between 2000 and 2006.

The majority were trafficked from eastern Europe, as well as Africa, Asia and South America, according to a report — the first of its kind — launched in Galway this morning by former senator Mary Henry.

Research authors Dr Eilis Ward of the National University of Ireland, Galway, and Dr Gillian Wylie of the Irish School of Ecumenics, Trinity College, Dublin, said they believe most of the women ended up in brothels.

“We established through our survey and questionnaire a probable minimum number of 76,” said Dr Ward.

“But in fact we will never know the exact number being trafficked into Ireland because of the nature of the sex trade and the nature of the criminality involved in trafficking.

“We suggest the research for statistics can now be sidelined in favour of the development of a coherent, human rights approach to this distressing problem.

“The Government needs to act fast to ensure the problem does not grow,” she said.

The research uncovered a further 75 cases of probable sex trafficking into the country between 2000 and 2006, but these were not included in the final report because they could not be proven.

Over two years the academics surveyed agencies and organisations working in areas of prostitution, violence against women and migration in Ireland.

The research found there was no policy to deal with women found forcibly working in Ireland’s growing sex business.

In one instance a woman discovered by gardaí in a Sligo brothel was brought to Mountjoy Prison in Dublin.

Dr Ward said: “This effectively criminalised her for an act in which she was an extremely vulnerable victim of a serious crime.”