More about the lunatic.
That Smith woman was on Radio 4 again this morning. They had been interviewing a prostitute about how the laws on prostitution are applied and how the new laws will effect 'business'. Along comes Smith who suggests that she knows more about prostitution in Britain than the prostitute (Oh yeah, how interesting!). The new laws will make it illegal to have sex with someone who is making money through prostitution to benefit someone else. The accused will not be able to use not knowing the background and circumstances of the prostitute as a defence. Smith says that this is designed to cut down on those who use prostitutes rather than persecute the prostitutes. The interviewer asked her why not just make all prostitution illegal? She replies that this was not a realistic option. She does not want to criminalise the women, just the men. There is also a wider picture here. It used to be that there was no crime without intent. All crimes were first committed in the mind. Nobody could be prosecuted for a crime they did not intend to commit. The erosion of this principle has been continued through the emotive sex crimes issue. They introduced statutory rape, where a man having sex with a 15 year old who had told him she was 16 would be convicted of rape even though he was ignorant of the fact (as opposed to ignorant of the law). Now if a man goes to a prostitute who tells him she is acting independently, and he does not realise she has been 'trafficked' or is working for a pimp, he can be convicted for the new offense of hiring a prostitute who is working for the benefit of another - even though he wasn't aware of it. Another long established principle of British Law, designed to protect citizens from wrongful conviction, has been abolished by Nu-Labour. According to the prostitute, such a law has already been used in ways which it was, apparently, not intended. She told of how some had been arrested because they were financially supporting a relative (working for the benefit of someone else), and two who worked in partnership were arrested because they were supporting each other. Home Secretary Smith said that this has never happened - and we all know how infallible she is. Her wisdom and knowledge surpasses all. :? I think that they should target those directly responsible for trafficking and pimping. There will always be customers. Make prostitution legal or illegal. Far better that everyone knows where they stand, rather than have confused and complexly varied laws which depend on location and circumstance. Target those who provide the illegal goods rather than those who are suckered into buying them. btw ... I've never used a prostitute and am not defending their profession. I'm just highlighting yet another example of government sturpidity.
That Smith woman was on Radio 4 again this morning. They had been interviewing a prostitute about how the laws on prostitution are applied and how the new laws will effect 'business'. Along comes Smith who suggests that she knows more about prostitution in Britain than the prostitute (Oh yeah, how interesting!). The new laws will make it illegal to have sex with someone who is making money through prostitution to benefit someone else. The accused will not be able to use not knowing the background and circumstances of the prostitute as a defence. Smith says that this is designed to cut down on those who use prostitutes rather than persecute the prostitutes. The interviewer asked her why not just make all prostitution illegal? She replies that this was not a realistic option. She does not want to criminalise the women, just the men. There is also a wider picture here. It used to be that there was no crime without intent. All crimes were first committed in the mind. Nobody could be prosecuted for a crime they did not intend to commit. The erosion of this principle has been continued through the emotive sex crimes issue. They introduced statutory rape, where a man having sex with a 15 year old who had told him she was 16 would be convicted of rape even though he was ignorant of the fact (as opposed to ignorant of the law). Now if a man goes to a prostitute who tells him she is acting independently, and he does not realise she has been 'trafficked' or is working for a pimp, he can be convicted for the new offense of hiring a prostitute who is working for the benefit of another - even though he wasn't aware of it. Another long established principle of British Law, designed to protect citizens from wrongful conviction, has been abolished by Nu-Labour. According to the prostitute, such a law has already been used in ways which it was, apparently, not intended. She told of how some had been arrested because they were financially supporting a relative (working for the benefit of someone else), and two who worked in partnership were arrested because they were supporting each other. Home Secretary Smith said that this has never happened - and we all know how infallible she is. Her wisdom and knowledge surpasses all. :? I think that they should target those directly responsible for trafficking and pimping. There will always be customers. Make prostitution legal or illegal. Far better that everyone knows where they stand, rather than have confused and complexly varied laws which depend on location and circumstance. Target those who provide the illegal goods rather than those who are suckered into buying them. btw ... I've never used a prostitute and am not defending their profession. I'm just highlighting yet another example of government sturpidity.