Letter: NI police service is failing to enforce sex buyer law

CARE has responded to a column in The Belfast Telegraph criticising Northern Ireland's landmark purchase of sex legislation. A letter by Louise Davies MBE, sent this morning, is included below.

Sir,

Fionola Meredith launched an attack on Northern Ireland’s purchase of sex legislation, and those who support it, in her recent column (Little surprise Lord Morrow’s flawed sex law has been a failure, 05/01/24). Her article fails to explain the impetus for this legislation – victims of trafficking and commercial sexual exploitation who do not “choose, of their own volition, to sell sex” – and fails to address police failings.

Sex buyer laws such as the one introduced in Northern Ireland target those who pay for sex – primarily men – and in doing so, directly challenge a demand for sexual services that fuels criminal industries, including human trafficking. Similar legislation has been successfully embedded in several countries. NI’s law has not failed, as Merdeith claims. It has not been enforced – to the astonishment of victim groups.

To provide a disincentive to prostitution and drive down demand for sexual exploitation, the police must prosecute sex buyers and secure convictions. Men seeking to pay for sex with vulnerable, exploited, or trafficked women face no disincentive to their actions if they do not face the threat of criminal action. If this situation continues, the most vulnerable in society will lack protection. It’s deeply worrying.

NI authorities must explain their approach to enforcement. Convictions should be obtainable through routine policing techniques – as is evidenced abroad, and in parliamentary reports. In Sweden, convictions rose steadily as the country’s law was embedded, from 10 in its first year of operation, to 326 in its eleventh year. There is no material reason why convictions rates in Northern Ireland area are so low.

We call on the relevant authorities to act. The public expects them to robustly enforce the law of the land. Even more importantly – women victims of sexual exploitation deserve those perpetrating their abuse to be confronted.

Sincerely,

Louise Davies MBE, Director of Advocacy and Policy at CARE