Sex trafficking fear as the Games loom (From Echo)
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Sex trafficking fear as the Games loom
2:10pm Friday 30th July 2010 in
PROSTITUTES are expected to flood south Essex during the 2012 Olympics, a Rape charity has warned.
With the opening ceremony of the Games now less than two years away, experts at the South Essex Rape and Crisis Centre have already begun investigating what can be done to discourage an influx of prostitutes and protect women from being trafficked into the area.
Hundreds of athletes and spectators are expected to descend on the county to train and stay for the duration of the Games.
Sheila Coates, director of the centre, based in Thurrock, said: “Research has shown that during large sporting events, sex crime actually increases because of the large number of participants and a lot of people travelling from country to country. Sadly, pimps see that as a way of increasing their income and we will see women trafficked to the area.”
The centre, which covers the areas of Thurrock, Basildon and Brentwood, has asked for the issue to be put on the agenda at forthcoming meetings of the Thurrock Violence Against Women and Girls Strategic Group and the Basildon Violent Crime, Domestic Crime and Sexual Crime Group.
As well as representatives from the centre, the groups are made up of officers from Basildon and Thurrock Councils and Essex Police.
Ms Coates added: “The centre is preparing to research the possible impact and take the necessary steps to mitigate the impact of any increase in sex trafficking and prostitution in the area.
“We are going to start looking at research available from the winter Olympics in Canada and the World Cup in South Africa to see what the impact may or may not be.
“In Vancouver it looks like it wasn’t as big a problem as anticipated because they planned for it and planned it out.”
A spokeswoman for Essex Police said the force had not been made aware of any expected problems.
Comments(29)
reptile
says...
5:03pm Fri 30 Jul 10
torridpiper
says...
5:46pm Fri 30 Jul 10
da doo da doo!
firedog
says...
5:53pm Fri 30 Jul 10
Nebs
says...
6:36pm Fri 30 Jul 10
HOMEOWNERS in south Essex could earn thousands of pounds by renting out their properties during the 2012 Olympics.
Now we know who will be paying such extortionate sums.
Essexbloke
says...
6:57pm Fri 30 Jul 10
I would say "cottage industry" ....... But surely that only concerns the athletes from the lesser known nations of Soddom and Gemorrah!
daveyboy25
says...
7:41pm Fri 30 Jul 10
John the resonator
says...
7:54pm Fri 30 Jul 10
Incidentally, what is the difference between the two?
A prostitute stops screwing you when you are dead -- booboom!
Seriously though, I agree with EthanEdwards' point about legalisation.
Tony Bman
says...
10:14pm Fri 30 Jul 10
karen29
says...
10:44pm Fri 30 Jul 10
See-the-real
says...
12:00am Sat 31 Jul 10
EthanEdwards wrote:I agree.
I must be missing the picture here. Stratford is not South Essex is it? In any event IMO prostitution should be legalised, regulated...taxed. Drive out the criminal element. It can only help protect the workers.
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Just as legalisation and taxation of alcohol has led to no illegal alcohol being smuggled in to this country and no alcohol abuse.
.
And the legal and taxed tobacco has shown that there are no problems on this front either. No one smuggles that in and sells it cheaper than the shops. And as far as I know, by taxing and legalising it, there are no smoking related deaths at all.
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It can only help protect the workers. My mum works in tesco and I think that legalising the sex trade will protect her.
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As a feminist, I think that prostitution should be legalised, because it is only the women who seem to get punished. If it was legal then these women could earn a good wage, satisfying the needs of men and using their bodies as a commodity for the purposes of male pleasure.
I think that then men would respect women more, and the sex workers would not be under the control of the men.
.
.
Yes I agree with you.
soul man
says...
5:34am Sat 31 Jul 10
soul man
says...
5:34am Sat 31 Jul 10
sea wall sid
says...
11:10am Sat 31 Jul 10
Mary Lou
says...
1:36pm Sat 31 Jul 10
.
Then what. Have another meeting, produce a paper, or publish a pamphlet.
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If these people are paid from taxes, withdraw funding NOW! From what I know of Quangos they are a self perpetuating talking shop and something I do not want my money spent on.
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If they are a charity I would question the efficacy of what they do or achieve.
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At least one of the benefits of austerity is flushing out all the useless Quangos that previous Governments have set up to pander to the "chattering" class.
Last Poster
says...
2:13pm Sat 31 Jul 10
Never happen!
They are already setting up a committee to investigate why we need so many committees!
Mary Lou
says...
2:45pm Sat 31 Jul 10
Mary Lou
says...
2:45pm Sat 31 Jul 10
John the resonator
says...
4:12pm Sat 31 Jul 10
"South Essex Rape &
Incest Crisis Centre opened in 1984 and covers the areas of Thurrock, Basildon and Brentwood. As a voluntary organisation and a registered charity, the organisation is confidential and independent from social services, the police and other official agencies.
South Essex Rape &
Incest Crisis Centre provides a service to women and girls over 13 years old who have been raped, sexually assaulted, experienced child sexual abuse, sexual harassment or who have experienced any form of sexually violence or attempted sexual assault."
I think we need them.
Thankfully no member of my family has experienced this and I hope none of their critics on here do either. Count yourselves lucky if you have not been abused.
Mary Lou
says...
4:43pm Sat 31 Jul 10
.
Funding comes from The Home Office, the NHS, Thurrock Council, Basildon Council and Essex Social Services. Yes and charitable donations.
Some of the aims are laudable but to the best of my knowledge there is no war going on in Essex. As to the provision of a consultation service to local, national and International agencies ? A lot of the activities seem to repeat those of central Government eg The National Statistical Office.
Yep its a Quango all right.
SERICC's Responsive Services include:
* Sexual violence counselling and advocacy for women with learning disabilities
* Sexual violence counselling and advocacy for women whose hearing is impared
* Support of women raped in war/conflict
* Raising awareness of women's issues and campaigning about women's issues
* Court Procedures and Criminal Injury Compensation Claims information and advocacy
* Criminal Justice System information
* Representing women's issues on national and local statutory and governmental committees
* Displays and information at events in the community
* Maintaining links with agencies who have similar aims locally, nationally and internationally
* A sexual violence consultation service to local, national and international agencies
* Active involvement in innovative rape and sexual violence projects including education and awareness raising amongst young people
* Collation of sexual assault statistical information to be used locally and nationally to inform the development and improvement of women centred service provision.
John the resonator
says...
5:14pm Sat 31 Jul 10
As I said, I count myself fortunate that no member of my family has been sexually abused or exploited.
Mary Lou
says...
5:32pm Sat 31 Jul 10
.
As a taxpayer the toal tax revenue for the UK is £457 Billion per annum. We owe £900+ Billion.
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Charity begins at home, have a look at their offices, which have won design awards. They ain't working in the conditions similar to the rundown classrooms or hospitals.
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The previous labour government came up with some real corkers of diversity schemes, which we no longer can indulge.
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I would love for this government to prduce a list of all the quangos in existnce and ask people to vote for whether they should continue.
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I want my money to go to my children, not for some right on feminist to go on about how women are oppressed.
karen29
says...
6:06pm Sat 31 Jul 10
Mary Lou wrote:Obviously men and boys never suffer rape, incest or sexual abuse? It only campaigns and offers counselling for female victims - why not male victims?
Its a Quango. . Funding comes from The Home Office, the NHS, Thurrock Council, Basildon Council and Essex Social Services. Yes and charitable donations. Some of the aims are laudable but to the best of my knowledge there is no war going on in Essex. As to the provision of a consultation service to local, national and International agencies ? A lot of the activities seem to repeat those of central Government eg The National Statistical Office. Yep its a Quango all right. SERICC's Responsive Services include: * Sexual violence counselling and advocacy for women with learning disabilities * Sexual violence counselling and advocacy for women whose hearing is impared * Support of women raped in war/conflict * Raising awareness of women's issues and campaigning about women's issues * Court Procedures and Criminal Injury Compensation Claims information and advocacy * Criminal Justice System information * Representing women's issues on national and local statutory and governmental committees * Displays and information at events in the community * Maintaining links with agencies who have similar aims locally, nationally and internationally * A sexual violence consultation service to local, national and international agencies * Active involvement in innovative rape and sexual violence projects including education and awareness raising amongst young people * Collation of sexual assault statistical information to be used locally and nationally to inform the development and improvement of women centred service provision.
John the resonator
says...
6:44pm Sat 31 Jul 10
John the resonator
says...
6:48pm Sat 31 Jul 10
Clearly I would want to see every penny possible go to the victims, not on creature comforts.
I felt the same when the NSPCC was in Southend.
Can we shake hands on that?
Mary Lou
says...
9:17am Sun 1 Aug 10
.
But may I add what a good thing this government did when it published the salaries of people paid from the public purse.
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How many people need to earn more than the Prime Minister to run a local Public Service ?
John the resonator
says...
9:06pm Sun 1 Aug 10
DannyK86
says...
9:49am Mon 2 Aug 10
Mary Lou wrote:It's a charity. Many charities receive government funding to deliver services - it's something that the Tories started off originally and it's only going to get more prominent under Cameron's 'Big Society' programme. A quango is a 'Quasi-Autonomous Non-Government Organisation', staffed by public servants and essentially an agency of the civil service. Big difference.
Its a Quango. . Funding comes from The Home Office, the NHS, Thurrock Council, Basildon Council and Essex Social Services. Yes and charitable donations. Some of the aims are laudable but to the best of my knowledge there is no war going on in Essex. As to the provision of a consultation service to local, national and International agencies ? A lot of the activities seem to repeat those of central Government eg The National Statistical Office. Yep its a Quango all right. SERICC's Responsive Services include: * Sexual violence counselling and advocacy for women with learning disabilities * Sexual violence counselling and advocacy for women whose hearing is impared * Support of women raped in war/conflict * Raising awareness of women's issues and campaigning about women's issues * Court Procedures and Criminal Injury Compensation Claims information and advocacy * Criminal Justice System information * Representing women's issues on national and local statutory and governmental committees * Displays and information at events in the community * Maintaining links with agencies who have similar aims locally, nationally and internationally * A sexual violence consultation service to local, national and international agencies * Active involvement in innovative rape and sexual violence projects including education and awareness raising amongst young people * Collation of sexual assault statistical information to be used locally and nationally to inform the development and improvement of women centred service provision.
Mary Lou
says...
5:54pm Mon 2 Aug 10
DannyK86 wrote:Call them what you like, only some 23% of their income comes from donations, the rest is from Local and central Government funding.
Mary Lou wrote:It's a charity. Many charities receive government funding to deliver services - it's something that the Tories started off originally and it's only going to get more prominent under Cameron's 'Big Society' programme. A quango is a 'Quasi-Autonomous Non-Government Organisation', staffed by public servants and essentially an agency of the civil service. Big difference.
Its a Quango. . Funding comes from The Home Office, the NHS, Thurrock Council, Basildon Council and Essex Social Services. Yes and charitable donations. Some of the aims are laudable but to the best of my knowledge there is no war going on in Essex. As to the provision of a consultation service to local, national and International agencies ? A lot of the activities seem to repeat those of central Government eg The National Statistical Office. Yep its a Quango all right. SERICC's Responsive Services include: * Sexual violence counselling and advocacy for women with learning disabilities * Sexual violence counselling and advocacy for women whose hearing is impared * Support of women raped in war/conflict * Raising awareness of women's issues and campaigning about women's issues * Court Procedures and Criminal Injury Compensation Claims information and advocacy * Criminal Justice System information * Representing women's issues on national and local statutory and governmental committees * Displays and information at events in the community * Maintaining links with agencies who have similar aims locally, nationally and internationally * A sexual violence consultation service to local, national and international agencies * Active involvement in innovative rape and sexual violence projects including education and awareness raising amongst young people * Collation of sexual assault statistical information to be used locally and nationally to inform the development and improvement of women centred service provision.
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Its a small amount all the 38 centres put together have only a total combined income of £3.5 million.
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I still don't get the war zone work, their hasn't been one in Essex since The ECW.
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EthanEdwards says...
2:32pm Fri 30 Jul 10
In any event IMO prostitution should be legalised, regulated...taxed. Drive out the criminal element. It can only help protect the workers.