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Abstracts: March 2004
March 2, 2004
Club Hostess Stabbed to Death
According to this article:
Camille Gordon, a 23 year old hostess at the Blue Bunny Club, Archer Street was identified by Scotland Yard as the woman murdered on March 1.
March 3, 2004
Hostess Killer 'Was Disgruntled Customer'
According to this article:
The police investigation into the March 1 murder of Camille Gordon, a hostess at the "Blue Bunny Club" in Soho indicates a "disgruntled customer" may have stabbed her due to a dispute over the payment of his bill.
Sym, Jennifer. "Hostess killer was disgruntled customer" PA News/The Scotsman 3 Mar 2004. <http://news.scotsman.com/latest.cfm?id=2605362>
March 3, 2004
Prostitution tolerance zone Bill hits setback
According to this article:
The Scottish Executive refused to back a plan by Margo MacDonald to allow councils to set up prostitution tolerance zones. Hugh Henry, deputy justice minister, urged members to vote it down and to wait until an Executive working group on prostitution completes its work. He claimed to be neutral regarding the bill's content but felt that the "timing of the Bill" was wrong. He also expressed concern that the Bill could lead to the unintended legalization of prostitution.
In 2003, MSPs overwhelmingly rejected Ms. MacDonald's initial attempt to get the legislation onto the statute books, but she relaunched the Bill in September 2003.
"Prostitution tolerance zone Bill hits setback" The Scotsman 3 Mar 2004
<http://news.scotsman.com/topics.cfm?tid=
589&id=250432004>
March 4, 2004
Club killing followed bill dispute
According to this article:
Scotland Yard released the first photo of Camille Gordon, the 23 year old hostess murdered on March 1 at the Blue Bunny Club in Soho. Indications are she was stabbed to death after a dispute with the customer over charges for her services.
March 4, 2004
First picture of Soho victim
According to this article:
Police released a photograph of Camille Gordon, the Blue Bunny hostess stabbed to death on March 1. Ms. Gordon was a Jamaican who had originally come to London hoping to work in nurseries.
A disgruntled customer is suspected of the murder. He had previously argued with her and the club's bouncers over a bill believed to be in excess of £250.
The Blue Bunny is one of Soho's "clip joints" where false promises of sex are given to customers.
Weaver, Clair. "First picture of Soho victim" Evening Standard. 4 Mar 2004.
<http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/articles/
9474030?version=1>
March 5, 2004
Club hostess stabbed in the heart
According to this article:
Alvin Charles, a bar manager at the Blue Bunny Club in Soho described how he tried to revive club hostess Camille Gordon after her fatal stabbing on March 1.
March 6, 2004
Business as usual in Soho strip joints while murder hunt goes on
According to this article:
Soho's "infamous clip joints" are explained. Extravagant prices are charged for sexual services which are promised to customers and then withheld. Inland Revenue and local authorities are planning a crackdown on the clip joints, which continue to operate largely because complaints are rarely made by punters, due to either embarrassment or intimidation. Reporter Terry Kirby observed first-hand "business as usual" at the clip joints after Camille Gordon's murder on March 1. Camille Gordon was a Jamaican with legal residency in the UK. She had no known links to prostitution or drugs.
- Kirby, Terry "Business as usual in Soho strip joints while murder
hunt goes on" Independent 6 Mar 2004.
<http://news.independent.co.uk>
March 7, 2004
Hidden fortunes of dance barons:
In the lap of luxury criminals
This article reports the results of an investigation into the lapdancing industry undertaken by the Sunday Mail.
According to the article:
The lapdancing industry in Scotland generates an estimated £35million a year in profits. Over half the clubs are turning over more than £2million a year. The dancers are normally required to split their earnings 50-50 with club owners and yet can make up to £4000 a week. The Inland Revenue are threatening to investigate the finances of the clubs. Senior officers are alarmed by the interest of gangland figures in the background of the clubs.
Stephen MacDonald, a convicted criminal is the "director" of Hooters (Edinburgh), and promotes "Diamond Dolls and Big Daddy Os. He claims that his partner Sandy Brown owns the clubs and nothing illegal takes place. Brown refused to speak to reporters from the Sunday Mail.
"Bottoms Up" is directed by Delizia Di Resta and "Fantasy Palace" is directed by his brother Tom. The "Ambassador", a sauna/brothel is adjacent to Bottoms Up and is licensed to Felice Di Resta, father of Delizia and Tom. Insiders believe the businesses are worth more than £5 million.
Adrian McPherson, a "shamed jockey turned pimp" opened Edinburgh's first lapdancing club but was forced out due to a conviction for running a brothel.
Olive Kinnaird is a director and licensee for the lapdancing club "Bugsy Brown" in Aberdeen.
"Summer", head dancer at the Liquorice Club, Edinburgh was interviewed by the Sunday Mail and called it the safest environment she had ever worked in. "Cindy", a former Edinburgh dancer was also interviewed and said the dancers were pressured by owners to be more "X-rated" and that cameras were placed in the private lapdancing booths.
There are 16 lapdancing clubs in 4 Scottish cities. Police fear the industry is being used for money laundering and there are "gangland" links to some of the clubs. Further details are given regarding the clubs.
March 8, 2004
Hope for vice trade victims
According to this article:
The Support Service for Victims of Trafficking, based in Glasgow, was launched on March 8, 2004. Its goal is to provide specialist help to prostitutes and to investigate the sex industry. £100,000 has been allocated to the project by Communities Minister Margaret Curran.
March 8, 2004
New scheme to help city vice girls trapped by fear
STREETS OF FEAR:
but pioneering scheme aims to help vice girls in Glasgow
According to this article:
The Scottish Executive announced a pioneering project to provide specialist support for human trafficking victims. The £100,000 pilot will collate intelligence about people suspected of being involved in human trafficking. Communities Minister Margaret Curran pledged £5million to projects assisting abused women and children in Scotland. Rape Crisis and Scottish Women's Aid in the west of Scotland will receive more than £1m. Glasgow Rape Crisis will receive £100,000 and Greater Easterhouse Women's Aid will receive £28,000.
Jim Coleman, deputy leader of Glasgow City Council said that trafficking was a great concern to the council. He said that there were already measures in place to keep street prostitutes safe and to provide a way out, but that "This new project will focus on another disturbing aspect of prostitution and support our view that women are the victims and not the problems."
A raid in August 2003 found 9 foreign women held as sex slaves in city saunas.
March 9, 2004
Murder suspect caught on camera
According to this article:
Scotland Yard released CCTV video of the suspected killer of Camille Gordon, the hostess murdered at the Blue Bunny "clip joint" on March 1.
The suspect had spent about 10 minutes with Camille in the club, and was charged £375. After disputing the charge, it was agreed he could pay £80. Less than an hour later Camille was fatally stabbed in the doorway of the club.
March 11, 2004
Parliament backs stay permit scheme for human-trafficking victims
According to this article:
The European Parliament supports a move to give human-trafficking victims short-term residence permits if they help the authorities prosecute the traffickers.
On March 9, MEPs backed the draft directive and passed amendments more generous to victims and giving Member States less discretion in its application. The EU Council of Ministers is likely to adopt the proposal.
Under the MEP proposal, a 30 day "reflection period" would be given to victims of trafficking, during which they could decide whether to accept the offer. The short-term permits would be valid for at least 6 months and give the victim access to the labour market, education and vocational training. They will also receive free legal aid. The Council prefers to let each Member State decide such matters.
Other pro-victim amendments passed in Parliament's plenary session allow the possibility for victim's families to be granted permits. They also say that the absence of identity papers or possession of fake ID should not count against the victim during the application process.
The legal proceedings against traffickers should be held in private and the identity of the victims should be protected. When a permit is withdrawn or not renewed, the victim's safety should be considered by authorities prior to expelling them.
Although Parliament previously gave its Opinion on this proposal (Dec 5, 2002), the Council re-consulted it after substantial alterations were made to the text. It has confined the Directive to victims of human-trafficking (where some form of exploitation such as prostitution is involved) and excluded human smuggling (where people are helped across borders illegally.)
The European Commission tabled the draft Directive on Feb. 11, 2002.
March 15, 2004
Ireland to fund women trafficking prevention project in Ukraine
According to this article:
The International Labour Organization launched a project in Ukraine with the primary goal of preventing trafficking in women by employing them in their homeland. The Irish government will fund the project.
Ukrainian Deputy Minister of Labour and Social Policy Heorhiy Halyts and the head of the International Labour Organization's international migration programme, Manolo Abella signed an accord called "Professional training opportunities, employment and migration policy as factors for preventing and reducing trafficking in women in Albania, Moldova and Ukraine" on March 15, 2004 in Kiev.
March 19, 2004
Staff remember ‘always smiling’ hostess
According to this article:
A gathering was held on Sunday to pay tribute to Camille Gordon, the Blue Bunny Club hostess who was stabbed to death on March 1 in the doorway of the club.
March 22, 2004
I was forced into prostitution in London
This article gives a detailed portrait of both Tatiana Volkova, a 29 year old victim and "Guinara Gadzijeva" her notorious Lithuanian trafficker. According to the article: Tatiana answered a newspaper ad for domestic servants in Britain. She was supporting her child and her parents in a former Soviet republic and would be earning three times her normal salary. The ad had been placed by Guinara Gadzijeva.
Tatiana surrendered her passport to the organizers of the trip to Britain, not knowing she would be entering illegally until she was forced to run through woods on the Czech border. The trip took 10 days - from her home country to the Czech Republic, Germany, France, Spain, Ireland (Dublin) and into London. She was allowed entry without checks.
Gadzijeva met her at Gatwick and took her to a flat filled with other "terrified" girls. Within two months Tatiana was working as a prostitute. A "gang of henchmen "terrified and intimidated the women. Tatiana finally escaped by jumping out of a second story window, badly injuring her back. She moved in with a man she knew, but was found by "Karina's gangsters" a year later and at that time finally contacted the police. Tatiana is now living in a safe house and studying to be a translator.
Guinara Gadzijeva (aka "Karina") forced hundreds of Eastern European girls into becoming sex slaves by threatening to kill their families if they did not comply. Tatiana testified for 3 days against her in February 2004. Her testimony was key in prosecuting Gadzijeva.
Gadzijeva received a 6 year sentence, her Sri Lankan husband Vethasalem Muruganathan a 3 year sentence.
March 25, 2004
Police hail gangmaster raid
According to this article:
"Operation Absent", a nationwide Norfolk-led operation to break up a multi-million pound slave trade network was hailed as a success by police. They believe it has disrupted and dismantled a criminal organisation involved in people trafficking, money laundering and exploitation. Approximately 100 officers were involved after months of preparation by the Norfolk Drugs and Serious Crimes Unit. It was partly funded by the Home Office.
43 people were arrested including a West Norfolk man believed to be "Victor Solonka", one of the most prominent gangmasters in the UK. He is alleged to employ more than 200 people from Eastern Europe.
Five alleged "lieutenants" in the network were arrested in Aberdeen, Scotland. Large sums of money and two firearms were seized in Norfolk. Restraining orders were obtain which freeze the assets of those arrested. Swoops were carried out in London, Essex and Cambridgeshire as well. Alledged ringleaders were arrested on suspicion of assisting illegal entry of people, helping them to stay illegally and money laundering.
The Gangmasters Licensing Bill is expected to be brought to the House of Lords in May. It was introduced to Parliament on January 7 and gained its second reading unopposed on February 27. It will shortly begin its committee stage.
Quote:
"Gangmasters working illegally cause real misery for vulnerable people, who live in over-crowded conditions. This is the 21st century slave trade.
“This is one of the biggest operations of this kind in the Eastern region. Our aim was to stop immigrants, some legal, some illegal from being abused. “These people are modern day slaves, working 15 hours days, living in overcrowded, unsuitable conditions and paid a pittance for their trouble whilst their gang masters live in luxury and launder the profits.” ~Det Insp Paul Cunningham, of Norfolk's Drugs and Serious Crimes Unit
"The existing legal framework... means that the police are left chasing the tails of these rogue operators, reliant on informers from vulnerable communities. Today's arrests highlight the need for robust licensing of gangmasters with effective enforcement clearly directed by a dedicated, senior minister. New legislation is necessary along with a nationwide crackdown on those gangmasters who practice modern day slavery." ~ Jack Dromey, T&G deputy general secretary
March 26, 2004
Police To Tackle Prostitution
According to this article:
The PSNI are setting up a working party to tackle the problem of prostitution in Belfast. Evidence will be gathered on brothels and street prostitutes.
South Belfast MP Martin Smyth said that Eastern European girls were found working in Belfast as prostitutes during a recent PSNI operation. Rev. Smyth believes it is likely that some form of "sex trade" exists in Northern Ireland.
Quote:
"Let there be no doubt that this is another aspect of organised crime that must be curtailed for the good of our community. "It may come as a surprise to many people to learn that there are at least 20 brothels active in the south Belfast area alone. "It is a real problem that will not be solved unless the police do all in their power to stop it. "These criminals will not just go away."
"This Province must not become another haven for international gangs who have tricked or forced girls to work as prostitutes." ~Rev. Martin Smyth, MP
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