Crackdown on kerb-crawling adds to vice girls' safety fears

Published on Friday 20 June 2008 10:34

A PROSTITUTE today told how walking the streets of Edinburgh had become far more dangerous since new laws were introduced aimed at ending kerb-crawling.

Attacks reported to support group Scotpep almost doubled from 66 in 2006 to 126 last year, including eight reported rapes and 55 violent assaults, despite fewer vice girls working.

It comes after new laws were brought in last year which made an offence out of "loitering" in a vehicle, with maximum fines of 1000. Persistent offenders can also have their cars confiscated.

According to one city prostitute – who would give her name only as Amy – all street workers have been left feeling more vulnerable as the new laws have driven them into more isolated locations.

The 28-year-old, who has been working for three years as a prostitute in the Leith area, was speaking as 55,000 of funding was handed to three city agencies to help provide prostitutes with education and counselling.

Amy believes the boosted services could "save lives" by getting more women out of the business.

"There has been a big change since the laws came in," said Amy. "There are more dangers for the women who are more isolated now."

Amy said she typically worked on her own and was forced to move to less populated areas where she felt more unsafe following the introduction of the legislation.

She said that sex workers were having to jump quickly into the cars of men worried about being arrested for kerb crawling. As a result, they have less time to assess their customers before driving off with them.

Amy has been on prescriptions for methadone, but recently relapsed into using heroin again and continues to use crack.

"I'd been using heroin for ten or 11 years, during which time I held down a job as a hairdresser. I started using crack three years ago when a dealer introduced me to it, then let me build up debts of 1000, which I couldn't pay.

"At that point he said I would have to work the streets to pay it off and buy more. One night, a friend of mine went out to work and came back a couple of hours later with cash. I thought, I can do that. I needed the money."

Amy started receiving help from the Women's Education programme, which is run by NHS Lothian and Sacro Thoroughcare, six months ago.

She added: "I was homeless and they helped me get a house. They also helped me get on to a methadone programme, although I've relapsed, and found funding for me to go to college and get qualifications in hairdressing."

The Women's Education project will use the cash to provide life skills such as cookery classes, address physical and mental health problems, and help find women ways into work. Organisers hope to help 20 to 40 people through the scheme.

Scotpep will receive money to develop its services and help women leave prostitution.

And Streetwork Women's Service will now set up an outreach team to give advice and support to prostitutes and those at risk of becoming involved.

The cash was distributed by the city council's Edinburgh Community Safety Partnership after receiving Scottish Government funds.

Councillor Paul Edie, chair of the safety partnership, said that claims kerb-crawling laws were leaving women more vulnerable were "very concerning", but six months was not enough time to evaluate the impact.

He added: "It would unrealistic to say we are going to eradicate prostitution. But these projects will give women a route out and the support they need to do it."