Canada Supreme Court Strikes Down All Current Restrictions on Prostitution

[Squinch]

122. Yes, I did read it. And their conclusion was that the net effect is a "larger reported

incidence of trafficking inflows...based on the most reliable existing data." That is from the section you quoted. None of the rest of it refutes that finding.

The other article I cited, which studied cross-European data, found the same results.

And they said, as do all scholarly reviewed articles, that there were elements not included in their study that would be subjects for other studies.

Many other studies, likewise, have found increases in trafficking:



Richard Poulin, PhD, Professor of Sociology at the University of Ottawa, wrote in his article titled "The Legalization of Prostitution and Its Impact on Trafficking in Women and Children," posted Feb. 6, 2005 on Sisyphe.org:

"Although there was a belief that legalization would make possible control of the sex industry, the illegal industry is now 'out of control'. Police in Victoria [Australia] estimate that there are 400 illegal brothels as against 100 legal ones. Trafficking in women and children from other countries has increased significantly. The legalization of prostitution in some parts of Australia has thus resulted in a net growth of the industry. One of the results has been the trafficking in women and children to 'supply' legal and illegal brothels. The 'sex entrepreneurs' have difficulty recruiting women locally to supply an expanding industry, and women from trafficking are more vulnerable and more profitable."

Feb. 6, 2005 - Richard Poulin, PhD


Though not a study, here is an interesting article on Germany's results from legalization. I include an excerpt but the whole article is worth a read. http://www.examiner.com/article/german-s-legalized-prostitution-brought-more-exploitation-than-emancipation-to-women

German chief police reported yesterday sex trafficking is on the rise in the country. The chief officer also said that sex trafficking has increased 11 percent from last year and 70% over five year period. While many advocates for legalized prostitution argued that legalization should improve the rights of prostitutes and eliminate discrimination, the case in Germany shows otherwise. Rather, the sex industry in Germany became a magnet for sex traffickers from Eastern Europe and African countries. Further, it became a source of exploitation of German as well as other foreign women rather than their emancipation to support their right to sell their bodies.

We could go on and on.

And let's be clear here. We use the word "trafficking" as though we were dealing with cars. Each trafficked person is a human being whose life has been taken from him or her. They are enslaved and their bodies are used up against their will. It is a real cost in terms of human degradation and lives (and yes, I'm sure some people here will jump all over my use of the word degradation. No it isn't prude-y prudes being prudish. I'm referring to the degradation of their humanity that is involved in treating people as appliances.)

But finally, let me ask an unrelated question: is there no way to have a discussion on DU without someone bringing it down to the "nyah, nyah!" level of discourse that includes statements like, "If you're basing your argument on this article, I would have thought you would have actually read it." It would be nice to think there was a way to have a discussion here without that.