Aitken sees red over 'missed opportunity' of new vice law

CITY council leader Ewan Aitken today hit out at new prostitution laws because they fail to give councils the power to establish tolerance zones.

Legislation expected to be passed by MSPs tomorrow will introduce new offences to target kerb-crawlers, who could face fines of up to 1000 and having their car confiscated.

But the original plan to repeal the existing law against soliciting by prostitutes and replace it with a new offence of causing nuisance has been abandoned.

And the Scottish Executive overruled recommendations from an expert group which would have required a complaint to be lodged before a prosecution could take place.

MSPs on the committee considering the Prostitution Bill also spoke out strongly against tolerance zones and said they wanted to see the law implemented right across the country.

But on his online blog site, Councillor Aitken has declared his support for tolerance zones, while making clear his wish to help women get out of prostitution.

He wrote: "I have to say that it took me a long time to think this through myself.

"I don't condone prostitution, I would not want it legalised and I am unconvinced by those who say 'It's my choice', but I have come to the conclusion that, especially given the levels of trafficking in women, we need to find ways of regulating its practice even if we don't like its existence.

"That is why the legislation going through parliament must focus first on the men who solicit and those who pimp and then on giving local authorities the chance to run things like tolerance zones."

Edinburgh operated an unofficial tolerance zone in the Coburg Street area of Leith for 20 years until 2001, when changes in the neighbourhood prompted complaints from residents. An attempt to shift it to Salamander Street led to further protests and the scheme was abandoned.

But supporters of tolerance zones argue they offer increased safety for women and allow medical and advice services to be provided.

Cllr Aitken told the Evening News: "It's not saying prostitution is a good thing, but it's understanding there is a group of women who are extremely vulnerable and we need to be able to do what we can to protect them.

"I want to do everything we can to get them out of prostitution, but between now and that time having the ability to protect them through tolerance zones would be very helpful."

He said he welcomed the fact the new legislation was focusing on the kerb-crawlers. "They are the ones who provide the demand," he said.

But he was disappointed there was nothing to encourage councils to do more to look after a group of vulnerable people.

He added: "The Bill has done some good things, but it has not given us everything we needed to do what we want.

"We need to think of other ways of ensuring these vulnerable women don't get driven completely underground and as a consequence become even more vulnerable."

Independent Lothians MSP Margo MacDonald welcomed Cllr Aitken's backing for what she called a "sensible and humane" approach.

But she said: "The Bill the parliament will most likely pass tomorrow is an absolute travesty of what the expert group sought to do.

"As was shown a few months ago when five women were murdered in Ipswich, the general community, while they may not like the idea or the behaviour associated with prostitution, accepts that street prostitutes are owed a duty of care by all of society."

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