Ireland’s First Arrest Following New Prostitution Law
A man has been arrested in Northern Ireland during a raid on a suspected brothel, reports Belfast Telegraph.
Image Credit: Ged Carroll (Flickr)
This is the first arrest of its kind since the introduction of Section 15 of the Human Trafficking and Exploitation Act 2015, under which it is illegal to pay for sexual services, but not to sell them.
However it is illegal to keep a brothel, and three woman were arrested and questioned for running the brothel.
This law adopted by Northern Ireland is similar to what has become known as the Swedish model, where prostitution is legal, but it is illegal to solicit sex.
This summer this became a controversial issue when human rights group Amnesty International voted to legalize prostitution. Their vote did not have a direct legal effect, however it was believed – and since shown – that it would influence lawmakers.
Read the full story here.
