Charity
 defends
 sex-buyer
 laws
 despite 
low 
convictions

A charity that helps women in prostitution has defended a law they campaigned for aimed at targeting sex buyers despite few convictions, saying there has been a “marked increase in Garda activities” since it came into effect.

Ruhama welcomed a Garda statement that in mid-September they interviewed 38 individuals they suspected to be sex buyers and were preparing a “number of files” for the Director of Public Prosecutions. The suspects were interviewed in Dublin, the Kilkenny/Carlow area, Cork City, Kerry, Galway and Donegal.

Since the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Act 2017 was introduced only three people have been convicted.  Speaking to The Irish Catholic the CEO Barbara Condon admitted the number of convictions “remains relatively low”, but that “gardaí have shown their commitment to disrupting the demand for prostitution…”

Ms Condon said it was an opportunity to call for more resources to put towards its implementation. “This includes ensuring that all gardaí carry out thorough investigations to ensure that those who are organising prostitution and profiting from the exploitation of others are brought to justice, and sex buyers are effectively deterred,” she said.