NI authorities failing women through ‘soft touch’ approach to purchase of sex law

A failure to enforce purchase of sex legislation in Northern Ireland is endangering women victims of sexual exploitation, CARE has said. In a statement issued today, we warn of a “soft touch” approach by NI authorities, and we call for action to help end sexual exploitation.

Last week, Belfast man Ronnie McCaughey, 70, was handed a conditional discharge after being charged with three counts of paying for sexual services, and four counts of attempting to do so. He is believed to be only the second person to be convicted under the sex buyer law since 2018. The legislation, brought by Lord Morrow, is designed to curb demand for sex trafficking.

It is unclear why authorities are not doing more to convict men who paid for sex with vulnerable women. Data obtained by CARE shows that men visiting brothels where victims of trafficking and sexual exploitation were kept were let off with cautions or discretionary disposals. Tim Cairns, CARE’s policy lead on commercial sexual exploitation, says the approach helps criminal gangs:

“With countries across the world now adopting the Nordic model to protect vulnerable victims of human trafficking, it is alarming that the PSNI and the courts in Northern Ireland have not done so properly. Their failure to secure convictions ensures that demand for sexual exploitation continues. This is good news for criminals, and bad news for those they exploit.

“Northern Ireland’s sex laws, introduced in 2015, were pioneering, with the rest of Ireland implementing similar legislation in 2017. The island of Ireland should be leading the way in ensuring that those who profit from the sale of sex are targeted and successfully convicted. It is shameful that police on both sides of the border have not taken these obligations seriously enough.

“In 2022, the PSNI raided 27 brothels across NI where women trafficked were being exploited, yet not one person found on the premises during raids was convicted of a crime. This is astounding and by no means a one-off. Last summer, six women were identified as having been trafficked to Belfast from Romania for prostitution. Men who exploited these women by paying for sex were not convicted either.

“A major investigation this week has seen four people arrested on suspicion of trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation. We are concerned that men who abused these women will also evade justice. Freedom of information data obtained by CARE shows that men who visit brothels, and aid crime, receive cautions or community resolutions. This ‘soft touch’ approach is helping criminal gangs.

“Police and prosecutors must explain why purchase of sex laws are not being enforced. In other countries, purchase of sex convictions are obtained through routine evidence-gathering techniques. Convictions in Sweden rose steadily as the country’s law was embedded, from 10 in its first year of operation, to 326 in its eleventh year. If the PSNI and DPP are serious about ending exploitation, they must enforce the law.”

ENDS

Notes for Editors

More on this issue: Alarm as police data shows just one conviction under NI purchase of sex law | CARE

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