Irish sex trafficking - Slavery that shames us all

MOST of us do not imagine ourselves part of a society where men use an internet website to rate and review sex workers on value-for-money, their looks and how much they appeared to enjoy the transaction.

Neither do most of us imagine that we are part of a society where children are among hundreds of young women being trafficked into Ireland to be sold into the sex trade. Many are prostituted, raped, assaulted and illegally imprisoned along their journeys from mainly poor African and European countries, before being handed over to their Ireland-based pimps.

In effect, they are slaves sold to the highest bidder.

Yet, these are some of the practices highlighted in a report commissioned by the Immigrant Council of Ireland. We’ve all heard the blather about consenting adults and personal choice but anyone who uses those excuses in these circumstances is in criminal denial.

We must do all we can to end what is, by even the standards of this dark and exploitative business, an utter disregard for the rights of the most vulnerable.