Plea over trafficking of sex slaves

The plight of young prostitutes being trafficked to Ireland was highlighted today in a hard-hitting appeal.

A leading charity plans to unlock sex slavery and fight for the rights of the vulnerable to be protected in new legislation.

Ruhama, an organisation that works with and for women involved in prostitution, today launched the Freedom Key keyring.

The symbolic keyring, which costs €2, will highlight the suffering of exploited victims of abuse across Ireland.

“Our aim is to unlock the sex slavery that’s happening in the country today,” said Gerardine Rowley of Ruhama.

“This year marks the 200th anniversary of the abolition of the Trans-Atlantic slave trade and incredibly we still have millions of women from poorer countries enslaved in the sex trade of wealthier countries.

“Little is being done to highlight this issue and unravel the massive injustice, which is all around us.”

The charity believes hundreds of women are being duped into coming here from poor countries including Romania, Albania, Ukraine, Venezuela, Brazil, and Nigeria.

Volunteers stress that without demand, these women would not become victims of trafficking.

“We’ve spoken to more than 100 women who came here to work, but were trafficked as a sex slave,” continued Ms Rowley.

“But that figure is the tip of the iceberg.

“Women are now working indoors in flats and apartment complexes and it is very difficult for them to come forward. They do not know where to go for help.

“Those who are here illegally are also afraid to come forward in case they are prosecuted.

“These women are taking risks to leave a poor country and travel with what they think is a trustworthy person.”

For 17 years the charity has provided a range of outreach and support services around the capital’s red-light district.

It offers the women a safe haven, assists with asylum applications and helps women who want to go home with travel arrangements.

Ruhama’s main priority is to now lobby the Government for new legislation to target traffickers and protect the victims.

“There is no deterrent out there for the traffickers,” added Ms Rowley.

“It is a low-risk, high-profit crime with no legislation.

“We are the only country in the EU without trafficking legislation and the bill that was produced totally excluded the victims of trafficking.

“Any new law must support the women. Otherwise, they will be deported and will end up being trafficked again.”

Companies fuelling Ireland’s sex industry were last year targeted by the organisation, with more than 50 bosses backing its calls to stop supporting lap-dancing clubs for corporate events.

Ruhama claims lap-dancing clubs mostly use foreign women, highlighting the links between lap-dancing and the global sex trade.

It found 95% of dancers and 90% of indoor prostitutes are non-nationals, with clients having little knowledge of how these women get here, how they are controlled, how they are paid and the risks they confront.