Advertisement

We need your help now

Support from readers like you keeps The Journal open.

You are visiting us because we have something you value. Independent, unbiased news that tells the truth. Advertising revenue goes some way to support our mission, but this year it has not been enough.

If you've seen value in our reporting, please contribute what you can, so we can continue to produce accurate and meaningful journalism. For everyone who needs it.

Campaign wants gardai to focus on prosecuting those who buy sex, rather than those who sell PA Images/Paul Barker

Christy Moore backs campaign to target men who buy sex

Proposals made to prosecute who hire prostitutes – but to not criminalise the woman who sells sex.

SINGER CHRISTY MOORE and playwright Peter Sheridan have helped launch a campaign to introduce Swedish-style laws on prostitution.

In Sweden, it is not illegal for a woman to work as a prostitute but it is a criminal offence for a man to pay for sex. Ruhama, an Irish group that works with prostitutes, claims that the deterrent of being prosecuted has greatly reduced the number of men looking to buy sex in Sweden. They hope that introducing similar legislation here would similarly reduce the number of Irish women working as prostitutes.

A launch of the campaign, called Turn Off The Red Light, was supported by singer Moore, poet Theo Dorgan, Barndardos CEO Fergus Finlay and playwright and director Peter Sheridan, brother of film director Jim, according to the Irish Times.

Meanwhile, a conference will be held on Monday in the Dublin Civic Offices on Wood Quay to examine the same Swedish legislation and its impact on prostitution. It is being organised by the Dignity project which describes itself as “an Irish-led initiative focused on delivering quality services to victims of sex trafficking”. It includes Garda representatives, the HSE and some voluntary agents.

The conference is to focus on the proposal that a combination of a legislative ban on the sale of sex “along with better supports for trafficked women and prostitutes” could change the landscape of prostitution in Ireland. See www.dublinpact.ie for more information on the conference.

The current legislation on the soliciting, organisation and living on the earnings of prostitution is in the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Act 1993. Under it, the soliciting or offering of services as a prostitute to another person (no gender specified) is illegal but it’s not illegal to actually give over money or accept it for sex.

Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone...
A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation.

Close
3 Comments
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Mary Nugent
    Favourite Mary Nugent
    Report
    Apr 4th 2023, 3:34 PM

    A leak?

    171
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Joanne Stokes
    Favourite Joanne Stokes
    Report
    Apr 4th 2023, 4:56 PM

    @Mary Nugent: No he wasnt there!

    131
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute David Jordan
    Favourite David Jordan
    Report
    Apr 4th 2023, 5:28 PM

    @Mary Nugent: Weird Alright.

    “The visit is connected to an ongoing inquiry in Thuringia, Germany”

    Prince Heinrich XIII, a cut leader is also based in Thuringia Germany. His cult, a Reichsbürger, or sovereign citizen movement, planned a coup but they were raided late last year by 3,000 German Police in 130 raids. So I wonder if it’s connected to this:

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2022_German_coup_d%27%C3%A9tat_plot

    They have a weird idea that the German state does not exist and it is still occupied by Allied powers, who turned Germany into a company/cooperation. I know people at the time commenting on the Journal didn’t take them serious, but people used to laugh at that whacky Japanese cult too.

    That said, I can’t imagine a centre right party voluntarily establishing any sort of links with far right elements of the German Reichsbürger movement, or maybe they were infiltrated by Reichsbürger. Well.

    So it might a coincidence, and there’s two ongoing inquires in Thuringia, Germany.

    46
    See 2 more replies ▾
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Mary Nugent
    Favourite Mary Nugent
    Report
    Apr 4th 2023, 5:28 PM

    @Joanne Stokes: email

    8
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute David Jordan
    Favourite David Jordan
    Report
    Apr 4th 2023, 5:32 PM

    @Mary Nugent: Fount it:

    “German outlet Mitteldeutscher Rundfunk reported that the raid is connected to Mario Voigt — leader of the state parliament group in Thuringia for Germany’s center-right Christian Democratic Union — and his involvement in the EPP’s 2019 European parliamentary elections.

    The local CDU lawmaker was recruited to support the EPP’s digital campaign in 2019. According to reports, the group then awarded a contract to an internet agency based in Voigt’s home state Thuringia, from which he is later suspected of having received money.

    Since September 2022, German anti-corruption officers had been investigating Voigt on suspicion of bribery in business dealings.”

    30
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Sean Padraig O Brien
    Favourite Sean Padraig O Brien
    Report
    Apr 4th 2023, 3:30 PM

    What’s going on!

    75
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Joanne Stokes
    Favourite Joanne Stokes
    Report
    Apr 4th 2023, 5:00 PM

    @Sean Padraig O Brien: Corruption at its best, watch this space….

    108
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute mcleixlip
    Favourite mcleixlip
    Report
    Apr 4th 2023, 4:50 PM

    And what about the offices of the People’s Party of Europe?

    45
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute ☀David Grogan✈
    Favourite ☀David Grogan✈
    Report
    Apr 4th 2023, 9:56 PM

    @mcleixlip: and the European Party of People

    19
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute SPQH
    Favourite SPQH
    Report
    Apr 4th 2023, 11:18 PM

    @mcleixlip: The Party office of European peoples

    11
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Serious Craic
    Favourite Serious Craic
    Report
    Apr 4th 2023, 5:42 PM

    Not a normal party. Chilling.

    39
Submit a report
Please help us understand how this comment violates our community guidelines.
Thank you for the feedback
Your feedback has been sent to our team for review.
JournalTv
News in 60 seconds