TVNZ+ lifted the lid on the prevalence of both child prostitution, and the harms of the industry in general. The problem is that the state agencies and the politicians are ignoring it. We review the short documentary.
Show script:
TVNZ recently did an in-depth report by Indira Stewart on child prostitution.
They call it “sex workers” but we’ll call it what it is – prostitution – because work should never involve sexual exploitation and violence – which prostitution does. I’ll come back to that.
But let’s have a look at the documentary. It’s great that the issue is seeing the light of day, rather than the shady murky dark of Hunters Corner in Papatoetoe South Auckland, or Southmall Manurewa. Or many other places.
There’s a number of issues that need to be called out, and also clarified.
So according to the written report on the 1News website
It’s more than 20 years since the government set up a five-year action plan to address the sexual and commercial exploitation of children in New Zealand. But, as Indira Stewart meets teenage sex workers who entered the industry as children, she asks, who monitored that plan and what did it achieve?
…We spoke to 13 adult [prostitutes], and 12 of them told us they’d started working the streets between the ages of 13 and 15. The most common entry point into the industry, it seemed, was childhood.
Now the problem for TVNZ is that we have already published a thorough indepth report on this issue in 2021.
“IS IT WORKING? An evidenced-based review of the decriminalisation of prostitution in New Zealand” highlighted several significant concerns, challenged the assumption that the decriminalisation of prostitution has been a success, finding the benefits of the Prostitution Reform Act 2003 (PRA) have been exaggerated and its shortcomings ignored, denied or hidden.
The report found the following:
Increased numbers of prostitutes
Health and safety violations – and the reality of violence
Street workers experience 2 to 3 times more violence than other workers
Low rates of reporting and prosecuting violations
The black market is still here
There’s a lack of support for exiting the industry
There has been a failure to implement recommended changes
Will TVNZ’s documentary reinforce these findings?
So let’s have a watch. And you’ll note that while the focus is on when someone starts prostituting themselves, the environment and the negative outcomes don’t change as they get older – even if they’re older.
But we’re not surprised at that eh. It’s the nature of the awful industry.
And the opening from the presenter sums this exact point up.
Notice the admission right from the start. They’re not identifying anyone – even if the person is happy to be identified – because TVNZ wants to protect their “safety, wellbeing”. Just within that statement is an admission that this is a dangerous industry which deserves all the stigma it gets, and we should be doing everything within our power to shut it down – not make it “safer” – which is a dangerous lie.
But then a disturbing fact
As we say in our report, the New Zealand Prostitutes’ Collective which is an activist group has failed to collect accurate data on the numbers of people involved in prostitution, despite being contracted by the Government to do so.
The big problem is that the NZPC does not provide support for those wishing to exit, has no official contact with the black market of prostitution, and plays down the industry-wide realities of violence and exploitation – denying the existence of under-age abuse and internal trafficking, rejecting the voices of exited women, and amplifying the voices of pimps.
The reporter asks the prostitute the question – Did you feel safe? The answer is the same that any prostitute would give you.
Getting advice from drag queens. Not the greatest source of wisdom eh.
But what is concerning is that TVNZ can easily find the underage prostitutes who are being exploited, sexually abused, possibly physically abused – but the Police & Oranga Tamariki can’t. Or won’t.
This is sexual abuse – this is likely sexual violence – this is child abuse – yet as we will soon see, the police and OT are turning a blind eye.
Very sad. Why aren’t we doing everything to stop this.
But even worse is that TVNZ then goes to the apologists for this industry – the Prostitutes Collective, who seems concerned about rangatahi – but has no solutions. It’s just about the law. And interestingly she explains the NORDIC model of the prostitution law – which is where the buyer is prosecuted, so as to stop demand.
But that should be used not only for under-age but for ALL exploited and vulnerable women.
See what they’re saying. Despite this being sexual abuse –sexual violence – child abuse – the Prostitutes Collective only want to explain the legal status – it’s not illegal.
And the myth that a law that allows sexual exploitation of any woman is somehow designed to “protect kids from being exploited”.
Just the kids? Why not all vulnerable women – and even some men on the street.
But Annah doesn’t seem to be reporting this to the authorities – and they’re certainly not helping people out of the industry. Nope – it’s about “safety” and “health”.
And I have a bridge to sell you.
Apparently they’re mainly just interesting in the transgender ones as well – which of course is another major red flag. The state is happy to facilitate kids to change their sex, criminalise anyone who tries to help this vulnerable child, and then turn a blind eye if they’re being sexually exploited and damaged on the street. Truly shocking.
This is not going well eh. It’s risky. Who can you trust.
Sounds like a wonderful affirming industry to be in – for anyone!
But they can’t connect the dots.
Annah – there’s a very easy solution. Criminalise prostitution. Criminalise pimps. Criminalise brothels. There’s no redeeming factor. And at the same time, defund the Prostitutes Collective.
But note the admission that the law sucks. And the inactivity of the government agencies.From the beginning of the century.
Expertise!! Please.
Here’s the voice of the prostitutes.
Living at a laundrymat.
And then the admission that the last time they looked at this issue was… 2008.
And as our report reveals – did nothing. Nothing.
And now we have online websites connecting underage prostitutes.
Here’s the thing.
Last week, it was announced that PornHub plans to enhance age checks in the UK, complying with the Online Safety Act. The Online Safety Act requires adult sites to introduce “robust” age checking techniques. Approved measures include demanding photo ID or running credit card checks before users can view sexually explicit material. Ofcom’s group director of online safety, in a statement “Society has long protected youngsters from products that aren’t suitable for them, from alcohol to smoking or gambling. For too long children have been only a click away from harmful pornography online.”
And in fact, just over the weekend, it was reported
The US supreme court ruled that a Texas law requiring that pornography websites verify the ages of their visitors was constitutional on Friday, the latest development in a global debate over how to prevent minors from accessing adult material online.
Meanwhile, New Zealand sleeps at the wheel while more and more vulnerable girls become victims of the porn industry.
Just one more clip. This is pretty distressing. But it shows why even TVNZ couldn’t get appropriate data and even responses.
A government report on prostitution after decriminalisation found that street workers experience 2 to 3 times more violence than other workers, and actual serious violence (rape, holding against will, and physical violence) are reported less than 20% of the time.
What other business or sector of society in New Zealand would tolerate this – and yet the sex industry is sold as a success story. Where is the Occupational Safety and Health? No other work employment sector has a risk factor where rape is considered an inherent part of the work, and why would we want a family member to be in a type of work where there is a 35% chance of being sexually molested i.e forced to accept sex from a man they did not want to.
As our report said, the normalisation of prostitution leads to a bizarre and dangerous situation, whereby as soon as an underage prostitute turns 18, she is no longer considered to be a victim of abuse, but instead is an empowered ‘worker’. There is no acknowledgement of the continued abuse and exploitation.
The 2021 ECPAT New Zealand report ‘Speaking For Ourselves’ provided a platform for under-age people in prostitution to talk about their experiences. The 13 young people interviewed for the report had histories of family violence, sexual abuse and neglect, as well as violence, rape and drug or alcohol misuse while working in the industry. A more recent report describes Auckland children selling their bodies from the age of 12 – and charging extra to allow themselves to be strangled or choked while having sex.
According to the committee which reviewed the law, ‘all measures should be taken to divert under-age people from entering the sex industry as a means of survival.’
But despite the existence, and obvious harms, of under-age prostitution, they also made the following comments, demonstrating that the nature of under-age prostitution as a form of abuse was not fully acknowledged – and that these children were not being adequately supported:
‘The Committee does not consider the PRA has made prostitution an attractive occupation for young people. The number of young people in crisis or lacking other means of support who become involved in prostitution to survive is outweighed by those young people in similar situations who do not… The Committee considers helping vulnerable young people access benefits, accommodation and other support should be predicated on the need of the young person, not whether they are involved in, or at risk of involvement in, prostitution.’
The recommendation to fund support of at-risk youth made in the PLRC 2008 has been ignored.
Shocking.
By the way, you might remember the Prostitutes Collective woman mentioning transgender prostitutes.
Radio NZ had a report recently entitled “One in five trans and non-binary people threatened with physical violence
According to the source report, 16% had been prostitutes!
Connect the dots.
Decriminalisation has failed to achieve its stated objectives of improving the safety, health and welfare or the conditions of the workers – all workers.
What it has achieved is greatly improving the conditions for pimps and brothel owners.
Prostitution is harmful to workers and communities and the association of prostitution with gang and criminal behaviour, alcohol and drug abuse, and sexual abuse and violence means that we are sentencing more and more vulnerable people and even children to an unacceptable situation.
How can we be serious about reducing sexual violence against women and girls when the state legitimises the sexual abuse and exploitation of vulnerable people.
There is a healthy stigma against prostitution – and for good reason
TVNZ has helped shine the light on this insidious industry.
Sadly our politicians are too weak & cowardly to do anything about it.
Don’t forget to read our report. You’ll see just how bad this law is.
