Sex trafficking and the women who organise it

I WAS disappointed with the biased report from the Cork Sexual Violence Centre, as covered by The Irish Examiner (December 13).

The report implied that it is essentially Irishmen who facilitate, control and sustain the sex trafficking trade in this country.

The global experience of trafficking has shown us it is frequently women who organise the logistics and perpetuate trafficking for sexual exploitation, from the initial contact often made by a female peer to the ‘madam’s’ greeting at the brothel door. The vast sums of money made by the madams and those higher up in the trafficking hierarchy offer a lucrative incentive for the prostitute to become a madam herself, thus beginning anew the process of recruitment for new prostitutes.

Placing the blame for Ireland’s sex trade squarely on the shoulders of Irishmen fails to take into account the wealth of knowledge built up by our law enforcement agencies and, most importantly, the personal feelings and motivations of the victims of sexual trafficking themselves.

Anthony Pringle

256 Charlemont

Griffith Ave

Dublin 9.