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London brothels offer sex for £15 | London brothels offer sex for £15 |
(about 4 hours later) | |
Brothels in London are offering sex for as little as £15, a report has said. | Brothels in London are offering sex for as little as £15, a report has said. |
Some are charging just £10 extra for unprotected intercourse. The report found that 85% of brothels in the city operated in residential areas. | |
The study was compiled by the Poppy Project in Southwark, which provides education about prostitution and helps victims of sex trafficking. | |
Researchers posing as potential punters telephoned 921 brothels that had advertised in local newspapers. | Researchers posing as potential punters telephoned 921 brothels that had advertised in local newspapers. |
They found on average 28 brothels in each of London's 33 boroughs. Together the brothels generated between £50m to £130m a year, the researchers estimated. | |
Underage girls | |
Campaigners insisted this was just "the tip of the iceberg" as the only source of information was newspaper adverts, as opposed to websites or phone box cards. | |
Many operated through legitimate businesses - licensed as saunas or massage parlours - though the vast majority were in private flats in residential areas. | |
The report found 77 different ethnicities among women being offered for sex, many from areas such as eastern Europe and south-east Asia. | |
The average age of the women was 21. Several places offered "very, very young girls" but did not admit to having underage girls available. | |
For most women involved in prostitution, the reality is a cycle of violence and coercion, perpetuated by poverty and inequality Report co-author Helen Atkins | |
According to the researchers, the average price for full sex was about £62. | According to the researchers, the average price for full sex was about £62. |
Co-author Helen Atkins said: "This research shows the disturbing prevalence of the sex industry in every corner of London - fuelled by the demand for prostitution services. | Co-author Helen Atkins said: "This research shows the disturbing prevalence of the sex industry in every corner of London - fuelled by the demand for prostitution services. |
"Multi-media misrepresentations of commercial sex as a glamorous, easy and fun career choice for girls and women further contribute to the ubiquity of London's brothel industry. | "Multi-media misrepresentations of commercial sex as a glamorous, easy and fun career choice for girls and women further contribute to the ubiquity of London's brothel industry. |
"However, for most women involved in prostitution, the reality is a cycle of violence and coercion, perpetuated by poverty and inequality." | "However, for most women involved in prostitution, the reality is a cycle of violence and coercion, perpetuated by poverty and inequality." |