Warning over rise of ‘loverboy’ trend of coerced prostitution

Women’s Aid has said it was seeing trends similar to the “loverboys” phenomenon abroad where vulnerable young girls are groomed and coerced into prostitution by older boys.

Margaret Martin, director of the domestic violence agency, said the trend emerged in countries such as the Netherlands, even though it had legalised prostitution.

She was speaking before the Oireachtas Justice Committee during a second day of hearings to discuss proposals on Irish prostitution laws.