Conference hears benefits to criminalising purchase of sex

A major conference on sex trafficking being held in Dublin today has heard that the only way to end the exploitation of women is to criminalise the buyers of sex.

International approaches to policing sex trafficking are being discussed at today's event, which is being held by the Dignity Project.

Sweden, Iceland and Norway have all introduced legislation criminalising the purchase of sex and the Irish Government is being urged to do the same.

"We have a policeman from Stockholm police where, in Sweden, they have introduced legislation 10 years ago where they have criminalised those who purchase sex," said Grainne Healy, project co-ordinator of the Dignity Project.

"They've had great success with this; they've seen a drop in the demand for sexual services and more importantly they have seen a fall in trafficking of women for sexual exploitation into Sweden."