22 September 2016

Six ACT sex workers subject to violent attacks: police

| Charlotte
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Police wrap

At least six Canberra sex workers have been the subject of targeted attacks by groups of men, including aggressive sexual assaults and robberies, some at knifepoint, according to ACT Policing.

ACT Policing’s Sexual Assault and Child Abuse Team (SACAT) is conducting extensive investigations into a number of reports of violent sexual assaults against female sex workers within the ACT.

Operation Sparren commenced in August this year following several reports of female sex workers being victims of assaults and robberies.

Investigators have since conducted extensive enquiries into these allegations, and believe there have been six incidents where the same group of alleged offenders are targeting sex workers.

Police understand that the men, operating in groups of two or three, make an individual appointment with a female sex worker. Initial contact is made with the sex worker through on-line advertising. During this appointment, a male will attended the location of the sex worker and then will allow at least one other man into the location.

It is reported that women have been aggressively sexually assaulted by the group of men, sometimes at knifepoint. Some of the women have also been robbed at knifepoint.

Two of the men in this group are described as Middle Eastern or Indian in appearance and the third male is described as African in appearance.

Detective Sergeant David Crowe of SACAT said that police believe there may be other victims who have yet to come forward and report sexual assault or robbery incidents.

“Police recognise the emotional hardship and courage involved in coming forward if you are a victim of a sexual assault,” he said.

“Let me reassure victims that Operation Sparren provides the appropriate avenue to do so, victim’s privacy is respected and upheld throughout the entirety of the process.

“Police are here to help. We will provide appropriate support services and can provide translators if English is not your first language.”

If victims are uncomfortable speaking with police, victims are encouraged to contact the Sex Workers Outreach Program.

Police are urging victims or anyone who has any information about this group to contact police on 131 444 or report via CrimeStoppers on 1800 333 000. Please quote reference Operation Sparren.

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Masquara said :

JC said :

Masquara said :

JC said :

Masquara said :

Hang on – aren’t foreign sex workers supposed to be working safely in a regulated industry here? That’s what we were told would happen by the “Eros Foundation” when the laws were liberalised. Why are vulnerable, non-English-speaking women out working on their own?

Who said the workers were foreign? The Canberra crimes is reporting the attacks have been against multiple nationalities.

Besides so long as these foreigners are abiding by their visa conditions nothing illegal about working on their own.

Can you cite a form of visa that allows foreign sex workers to operate on their own, as a street worker?

Student visa so long as you don’t work more than 20 hours a week. Legal work is legal work.

Considering that students here are studying in English, and the sex workers concerned apparently did not speak English (according to Police concerns and offers of interpreters), I think you are still to posit an example whereby these foreign sex workers with no English skills could possibly be working on valid visas.

The foreign workers at the barber shop I go to have virtually no English skills yet they have valid visas.

If they could understand basic English I might get the cut style I ask for instead of “short back and sides” every time.

creative_canberran12:00 am 26 Sep 16

Masquara said :

Considering that students here are studying in English, and the sex workers concerned apparently did not speak English (according to Police concerns and offers of interpreters), I think you are still to posit an example whereby these foreign sex workers with no English skills could possibly be working on valid visas.

Oh wow you haven’t set foot on a university campus in a long time. Foreign students are meant to study and be assessed in english, but in reality many have a poor grasp of the language. As has been widely reported in recent years, universities make special and very generous concessions to foreign students because of that, and because those students bring in the dollars.

That said it’s widely known that several illegal brothels operate in Canberra, usually with foreign workers. One was operating unlicensed for two years before it was blown up. It makes the workers in those situations particularly vulnerable. And it makes you wonder just what ORS is doing?

JC said :

Masquara said :

JC said :

Masquara said :

Hang on – aren’t foreign sex workers supposed to be working safely in a regulated industry here? That’s what we were told would happen by the “Eros Foundation” when the laws were liberalised. Why are vulnerable, non-English-speaking women out working on their own?

Who said the workers were foreign? The Canberra crimes is reporting the attacks have been against multiple nationalities.

Besides so long as these foreigners are abiding by their visa conditions nothing illegal about working on their own.

Can you cite a form of visa that allows foreign sex workers to operate on their own, as a street worker?

Student visa so long as you don’t work more than 20 hours a week. Legal work is legal work.

Considering that students here are studying in English, and the sex workers concerned apparently did not speak English (according to Police concerns and offers of interpreters), I think you are still to posit an example whereby these foreign sex workers with no English skills could possibly be working on valid visas.

JC said :

dungfungus said :

JC said :

Masquara said :

Hang on – aren’t foreign sex workers supposed to be working safely in a regulated industry here? That’s what we were told would happen by the “Eros Foundation” when the laws were liberalised. Why are vulnerable, non-English-speaking women out working on their own?

Who said the workers were foreign? The Canberra crimes is reporting the attacks have been against multiple nationalities.

Besides so long as these foreigners are abiding by their visa conditions nothing illegal about working on their own.

Well, the attackers are described as foreign and as as long as they are seen to abiding by their cultural ways (which we are taught to respect) there is nothing to see here so let’s move on.

Really? Warped point of view that one.

Only in Australia.

Blen_Carmichael9:49 am 25 Sep 16

No doubt as part of the investigation police are carefully scrutinising a lot of mobile phone numbers. I suspect there are quite a few nervous Nellys out there.

dungfungus said :

JC said :

Masquara said :

Hang on – aren’t foreign sex workers supposed to be working safely in a regulated industry here? That’s what we were told would happen by the “Eros Foundation” when the laws were liberalised. Why are vulnerable, non-English-speaking women out working on their own?

Who said the workers were foreign? The Canberra crimes is reporting the attacks have been against multiple nationalities.

Besides so long as these foreigners are abiding by their visa conditions nothing illegal about working on their own.

Well, the attackers are described as foreign and as as long as they are seen to abiding by their cultural ways (which we are taught to respect) there is nothing to see here so let’s move on.

Really? Warped point of view that one.

Masquara said :

JC said :

Masquara said :

Hang on – aren’t foreign sex workers supposed to be working safely in a regulated industry here? That’s what we were told would happen by the “Eros Foundation” when the laws were liberalised. Why are vulnerable, non-English-speaking women out working on their own?

Who said the workers were foreign? The Canberra crimes is reporting the attacks have been against multiple nationalities.

Besides so long as these foreigners are abiding by their visa conditions nothing illegal about working on their own.

Can you cite a form of visa that allows foreign sex workers to operate on their own, as a street worker?

Student visa so long as you don’t work more than 20 hours a week. Legal work is legal work.

JC said :

Masquara said :

Hang on – aren’t foreign sex workers supposed to be working safely in a regulated industry here? That’s what we were told would happen by the “Eros Foundation” when the laws were liberalised. Why are vulnerable, non-English-speaking women out working on their own?

Who said the workers were foreign? The Canberra crimes is reporting the attacks have been against multiple nationalities.

Besides so long as these foreigners are abiding by their visa conditions nothing illegal about working on their own.

Can you cite a form of visa that allows foreign sex workers to operate on their own, as a street worker?

JC said :

Masquara said :

Hang on – aren’t foreign sex workers supposed to be working safely in a regulated industry here? That’s what we were told would happen by the “Eros Foundation” when the laws were liberalised. Why are vulnerable, non-English-speaking women out working on their own?

Who said the workers were foreign? The Canberra crimes is reporting the attacks have been against multiple nationalities.

Besides so long as these foreigners are abiding by their visa conditions nothing illegal about working on their own.

Well, the attackers are described as foreign and as as long as they are seen to abiding by their cultural ways (which we are taught to respect) there is nothing to see here so let’s move on.

Masquara said :

Hang on – aren’t foreign sex workers supposed to be working safely in a regulated industry here? That’s what we were told would happen by the “Eros Foundation” when the laws were liberalised. Why are vulnerable, non-English-speaking women out working on their own?

Who said the workers were foreign? The Canberra crimes is reporting the attacks have been against multiple nationalities.

Besides so long as these foreigners are abiding by their visa conditions nothing illegal about working on their own.

Operation Sparren translates to Operation Rafter. Approprite name. I would love to see the police jump dowm from a manhole in a roof cavity and kick these guys arses.

Dare I say f them up a bit during the arrest and transfer to remand since the offenders like to play rough #nosafewordboys

creative_canberran7:23 pm 22 Sep 16

Masquara said :

Hang on – aren’t foreign sex workers supposed to be working safely in a regulated industry here? That’s what we were told would happen by the “Eros Foundation” when the laws were liberalised. Why are vulnerable, non-English-speaking women out working on their own?

You know where else you have people with little english skills working in a vulnerable situation – taxi drivers. So what’s your point?

Hang on – aren’t foreign sex workers supposed to be working safely in a regulated industry here? That’s what we were told would happen by the “Eros Foundation” when the laws were liberalised. Why are vulnerable, non-English-speaking women out working on their own?

This is very sad to hear. It is great that there is a Sex Workers Outreach Program in place. Because not many would be comfy talking to the police.

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