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Victim of sex trafficking still has criminal record in Ireland.

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  • 14-05-2023 12:51am
    #1
    political analyst
    Registered Users Posts: 4,442 ✭✭✭


    This article is from 2021.

    https://www.thesun.ie/news/6914572/trafficked-woman-helped-jail-pimps-remains-convicted-criminal/

    Anna was a victim of sex trafficking. The Irish government's initiative, directly connected to the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Act of 2017, expunged the records of some 607 women. But, in taking no account of individual circumstances, it means even trafficked people considered by a judge to have played a role in running a brothel remain criminals. Therefore, Anna still has a criminal record from appearance in court, where she was fined 300 euro.

    The Department of Justice told The Irish Sun that “brothel keeping” remains an offence but “if new evidence comes to light that would impact the basis on which the person was originally convicted, that person can seek to have the conviction overturned/quashed and that the person should seek legal advice.

    However, Anna said:“What evidence can I give apart from the evidence of what I have done since I got away from that life?  They can call me a brothel keeper forever now. I have fought enough and don’t want to do it anymore.”

    Surely, the detail of the court case in Northern Ireland at which the two pimps, who are visible in the link to the article, would count as evidence to get Anna's conviction quashed, wouldn't it?

    Traditionally, it has been understood that brothels are run by pimps. So why was the law of 2017 drawn-up to define brothel-keeping as being a group of prostitutes in one location? Why criminalise prostitutes when it is well-known there is, at the very least, a strong likelihood that the prostitutes are being subject to coercion?

    Another question I have, which isn't raised in the article, is: Why is the idea of seeking a presidential pardon not considered? After all, such a pardon was given to expunge Nicky Kelly's wrongful conviction in relation to the Sallins train robbery - so there is a precedent!

    What is the reason for the inertia of authorities here and in Britain regarding the criminal records of victims of sex trafficking, e.g. Rotherham? It only takes the stroke of a pen to give a pardon!



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