June 2006: Sex Trafficking


"They Work for You" database - People Trafficking Searches UK Commons and Lords debates, written answers, and statements since 2001; for an MP, peer, constituency, or date.
	04-Jun-06	How the new Fagins are bringing child slavery to Britain	Telegraph Olga Craig, Bojan Pancevski, David Harrison

ORIGINAL: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/06/04/ngangs104.xml&sSheet=/news/2006/06/04/ixuknews.html WEBCITE archive: http://www.webcitation.org/5GOVFP2AK
	04-Jun-06	Hundreds of child slaves sold into UK every year	Telegraph David Harrison

ORIGINAL: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/06/04/ngangs04.xml WEBCITE archive: http://www.webcitation.org/5GOWdse87
	04-Jun-06	'Slaves' sold at British airports	Guardian Unlimited (Press Association)
"Slave auctions" of women sold into prostitution are being carried out on the concourses of British airports
ORIGINAL: http://www.guardian.co.uk/uklatest/story/0,,-5863732,00.html WEBCITE archive: http://www.webcitation.org/5GOWxZTe3
	04-Jun-06	'Slaves auctioned' by traffickers	BBC News
Airports are being used by people smugglers to hold "slave auctions" of women being sold into prostitution, said the Crown Prosecution Service.
ORIGINAL: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/5046170.stm WEBCITE archive: http://www.webcitation.org/5GOXwUfL5
	05-Jun-06	Brothel fugitive held in Thailand	BBC News
A British woman, Angela Miller (age 49) was arrested by Thai police. Miller was first arrested in 1998 at a massage parlour in Northampton but fled to Thailand in 2000. She was convicted of trafficking women and running brothels and was part of a trafficking group that brought Thai girls to Britain to work as prostitutes at massage parlours in Northampton and Leicester.
ORIGINAL: http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/uk_news/england/northamptonshire/3890737.stm WEBCITE archive: http://www.webcitation.org/5GW5CaSYR
	05-Jun-06	'Slave auctions' targeted in crackdown on airport crime	Guardian Jacqueline Maley
A slave auction took place outside a coffee shop in the arrivals hall of Gatwick airport. Authorities believe similar auctions have taken place at Heathrow, Stansted and other airports across the UK.
ORIGINAL: http://www.guardian.co.uk/crime/article/0,,1790389,00.html WEBCITE archive: http://www.webcitation.org/5GW4uaCUX
	05-Jun-06	Two arrests as officers swoop on human trafficking ring	View London
Operation Pentameter A man and a woman have been arrested in Ipswich after raids on four properties in Essex and Suffolk. Five women have been rescued, two in Braintree and three in Ipswich, and they are now helping police and being counseled .
ORIGINAL: http://news.viewlondon.co.uk/Two_arrests_as_officers_swoop_on_human_trafficking_ring_17133541.html WEBCITE archive: http://www.webcitation.org/5GuMzwHFK
	06-Jun-06	Sex slaves auctioned in British airport arrival halls	Sydney Morning Herald Jacqueline Maley
"Women are being sold off in "slave auctions" in the arrivals lounges of British airports, say authorities desperate to crack down on the burgeoning trade in trafficking humans."
ORIGINAL: http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/sex-slaves-auctioned-in-british-airport-arrival-halls/2006/06/05/1149359675140.html# WEBCITE archive: http://www.webcitation.org/5GW4BuSIu
	08-Jun-06	Human trafficking 'a growing problem' in N.Ireland	UTV
UK Minister Paul Goggins has told a House of Commons committee that there is some suggestion that foreign women are being used for the sex trade in Northern Ireland and that there is an increase in female foreign nationals working as prostitutes.. The PSNI Drugs and Vice Unit has closed down 16 brothels in Belfast in the last 10 weeks.
ORIGINAL: http://www.utvinternet.com/newsroom/indepth.asp?id=74110&pt=n WEBCITE archive:
	15-Jun-06	Disgrace of the women trafficked into the sex trade	Belfast Telegraph
Recent research from Northern Ireland Women's Aid Federation has uncovered evidence that trafficking may be taking place in Northern Ireland. "The PSNI has not carried out any Operation Pentameter raids and has told Amnesty International that they do not believe that sex trafficking is a problem in Northern Ireland. However, research from Women's Aid gives estimates of up to 50 women having been trafficked to Northern Ireland for the sex trade."
ORIGINAL: http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/features/story.jsp?story=695033 WEBCITE archive:
	18-Jun-06	Bishops urge Govt to introduce human trafficking laws	Ireland Online
The Irish Bishops Conference has called on the Government to introduce new legislation aimed at preventing human trafficking.
ORIGINAL: http://breakingnews.iol.ie/news/story.asp?j=153064900&p=y53x6548x# WEBCITE archive:
	20-Jun-06	People Trafficking: 20 Jun 2006: Written answers	TheyWorkForYou.com
Jeremy Browne (Taunton, Liberal Democrat) Hansard source To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he plans to expand the Poppy scheme for victims of human sex trafficking. Vernon Coaker (Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Home Office) Hansard source In April the Home Office entered into a two-year, £2.4 million funding agreement with Eaves Housing for Women for the expansion of the Poppy project. This funding will not only provide for the existing crisis provision service for up to 25 women, it will also meet the costs of 10 additional "step-down" places which will help the women to live semi-independently with less intensive support, and the development of a resource pack for victims, service providers and law enforcement agency staff. It will also introduce the first ever specialist national outreach service in the UK for victims trafficked into sexual exploitation. Whilst the project remains London based it will continue to take referrals from across the country and provide a national service. We are currently looking at how best to utilise other existing local service providers to support victims and will continue to consider the feasibility of further extending the Poppy model of support to other areas in the future.
ORIGINAL: http://www.theyworkforyou.com/wrans/?id=2006-06-20a.74859.h WEBCITE archive:
	20-Jun-06	People Trafficking: 20 Jun 2006: Written answers	TheyWorkForYou.com
Diane Abbott (Hackney North & Stoke Newington, Labour) Hansard source To ask the Minister for Women and Equality what discussions she has had with the Home Office on border controls to prevent the trafficking of young women into the United Kingdom. Meg Munn (Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Women and Equality), Department for Communities and Local Government) Hansard source As a Member of the Ministerial Group on Human Trafficking, I work closely with Home Office colleagues to ensure that provision for victims is sensitive to the needs of young women trafficked into the UK for sexual exploitation. All UK immigration officers have been made aware of a best practice toolkit to enable prompt and accurate identification of victims. In addition, immigration officers receive regular intelligence briefings and inter-agency briefings that highlight issues and trends in respect of trafficking.
ORIGINAL: http://www.theyworkforyou.com/wrans/?id=2006-06-20a.75356.h WEBCITE archive:
	20-Jun-06	Vicious side of beautiful game	Press Statement Esmond Birnie MLA UUP South Belfast UUP spokesman for Family and Children
The World Cup in Germany is one of the world’s greatest television spectacles and certainly its premier sporting event. As you watch it bear in mind that this beautiful game has been having some horrendous effects off the field. Significantly, Germany has been a leader in Continental Europe’s ill-advised policy of trying to limit the ill-effects of prostitution by decriminalising that activity and then attempting to regulate it. This policy has in practice led to the unconstrained growth of the sex industry such that there are now at least 400,000 prostitutes working in Germany. And that number has been boosted by 10 per cent or more during the World Cup period. Already a large proportion (some say up to three-quarters) of sex workers have been trafficked in from Central Europe, Asia and further afield and those numbers have been increased during the World Cup. Sadly, the German authorities have rushed to accommodate the trade in women by facilitating the construction of mega-brothels and “sex huts”, some being multi-storey affairs, within walking distance of many of the stadia. Cities hosting matches have issued special permits for street prostitution, creating a virtual partnership with the brothel owners, pimps and traffickers. Hence recent comments by the American Senator Chris Smith, “The sad disturbing news is that the German government is currently facilitating prostitution and, we believe, what will be a very significant influx of trafficked women who will be exploited”. Mr Smith also said, “We know beyond any reasonable doubt that so many of these women are coerced and they are there because of force, fraud or, like I say, coercion”. So the German authorities have allowed the World Cup to bring with it increases in vice and trafficking. Why should we here in Northern Ireland be concerned by all of this? Apart from the obvious fact that concern for human dignity should be universal, we are now in a global society. Northern Ireland people have been travelling to Germany to watch the football. We also know that here in Belfast we have not been immune from the ill effects and exploitation inherent in the sex industry. If we want do stop the indignity and social misery which commercial sexual exploitation inevitably entails then governments, whether in Germany or the UK, need to use strong legal penalties against those who would buy sex”.

	21-Jun-06	Trafficking in human misery Horrifying extent of sex-slave trade	Yorkshire Post
THE extent of sex-trafficking in this country, now slowly being uncovered thanks principally to the diligence of South Yorkshire Police, begs the question why concerted action aimed at smashing this vile trade did not begin far earlier.
ORIGINAL: http://www.yorkshiretoday.co.uk/ViewArticle2.aspx?SectionID=104&ArticleID=1577491 WEBCITE archive: http://www.webcitation.org/5GputrqnF
	21-Jun-06	People trafficking fight is stepped up	Yorkshire Post Paul Whitehouse
"A national centre to combat people trafficking is to be established in Yorkshire after a two-month investigation unearthed four times as many victims as police anticipated. Officers who organised Operation Pentameter had at first expected to find about 20 foreign women brought into the UK and forced to work in brothels and massage parlours. But the total has reached a shocking 79, with 10 per cent traced to the Yorkshire region. "
ORIGINAL: http://www.yorkshiretoday.co.uk/ViewArticle2.aspx?SectionID=55&ArticleID=1577321 WEBCITE archive: http://www.webcitation.org/5GoMvIlsV
	21-Jun-06	South Yorkshire Police - Press Release	South Yorkshire Police
The United Kingdom is to have a dedicated, police-led unit to deal with human trafficking by the end of the year.
ORIGINAL: http://southyorks.police.uk/news/details.php?id=2821 WEBCITE archive: http://www.webcitation.org/5GoIXStKA
	21-Jun-06	Police launch sex trafficking task force	Telegraph
The Government is expected to announce the creation of a dedicated police task force to deal with women trafficked for sex.
ORIGINAL: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/core/Content/displayPrintable.jhtml;jsessionid= LLIXV2M3F1ZMNQFIQMGCFGGAVCBQUIV0?xml=/news/2006/06/21/utraffic21.xml&site=5 WEBCITE archive: http://www.webcitation.org/5GoIK8xB9
	21-Jun-06	Plan for sex trafficking task force	Guardian
The creation of a dedicated police task force to deal with women trafficked for sex is expected to be announced by the Government. A four-month project, Operation Pentameter, has rescued more than 80 alleged victims from sexual slavery and made 200 arrests.
ORIGINAL:http://www.guardian.co.uk/uklatest/story/0,,-5901087,00.html WEBCITE archive: http://www.webcitation.org/5GoIEoDaT
	21-Jun-06	Sex trafficking fight stepped up	BBC News
A dedicated national police task force is expected to be set up to deal with women trafficked for sex. The force will be Sheffield-based and is expected to start work in September. Home Office minister Vernon Coaker is expected to make the announcement.
ORIGINAL: http://newsvote.bbc.co.uk/mpapps/pagetools/print/news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/5100910.stm WEBCITE archive: http://www.webcitation.org/5GoI4rWHK
	22-Jun-06	14 year old African sex slave rescued by police	Daily Record Steven Ventura
A 14 year old girl was among 6 sex slaves freed from brothels in Scotland through Operation Pentameter. The girl had been kicked out of a brothel and left homeless. The six found in Scotland included 2 Africans, 2 Slovakians, a Lithuanian and a UK national. A total of £40,000 in cash was also seized during the raids in Scotland. It is estimated that 6000 women work in prostitution in Scotland, with one per cent of that number believed to be trafficked sex slaves.
ORIGINAL: http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/printable_version.cfm?objectid=17271953&siteid=66633 WEBCITE archive: http://www.webcitation.org/5GpuVgN3u
	22-Jun-06	84 rescued in Anglo-Irish sex trafficking police operation	Ireland Online
Operation Pentameter 84 people, including a girl of 14, rescued to date. 232 arrests, 134 charges, 515 brothels, massage parlours, private homes and other premises across UK and Ireland raided. 12 children aged 14-17 rescued. Approx. half rescued women and girls are from Eastern European countries, the other half from the Far East, Africa and South America. Police spokeswoman said the emerging trend is for child victims from Africa and South America.
ORIGINAL: http://breakingnews.iol.ie/news/story.asp?j=186586622&p=y865873z8 WEBCITE archive:
	22-Jun-06	Gardaí smash international sex trafficking gang	Irish Examiner Juno McEnroe
Operation Hotel Gardai have broken up two gangs of Romanians and Ukrainians suspected of trafficking women into Ireland for the sex industry and revealed that they have compiled files on 8 suspects. Five Romanians and three Ukrainians were arrested earlier in the year. ‘Operation Hotel’ was established in November 2005 to target the trafficking of females from eastern Europe to work in the sex industry in Ireland. Several sex trafficking victims have contacted Ruhama since a recent television expose aired in May (See: Prime Time Investigates: Sex trafficking)
ORIGINAL: http://www.irishexaminer.com/irishexaminer/pages/story.aspx-qqqg=ireland-qqqm=ireland-qqqa=ireland-qqqid=6619-qqqx=1.asp WEBCITE archive: http://www.webcitation.org/5GpzR4u1c
	23-Jun-06	Vice swoops find 17-year-old girl	BBC News
Operation Pentameter A 17-year-old African girl was rescued by police in Dumfries. She was one of six females taken into care by police. A dozen people were arrested and charged, more than 25 premises were visited across Scotland and £40,000 in cash was recovered.
ORIGINAL: http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/south_of_scotland/5109346.stm WEBCITE archive: http://www.webcitation.org/5GrKMV85F
	23-Jun-06	Scale of problem growing in Ulster	Belfast Telegraph Michael McHugh
The Northern Ireland Office announced that an anti-trafficking team is to be set up in Northern Ireland to tackle the increasing number of foreign women forced into prostitution. Northern Ireland Women's Aid estimates that up to 50 women have been trafficked into Northern Ireland for prostitution.
ORIGINAL: http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/story.jsp?story=696060 WEBCITE archive: http://www.webcitation.org/5GrK6jSDu


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