by Andrew Carey
A JUDGE has called for a change in the way cases of prostitution are dealt with and suggested that they should be targeted men who pay for sex with prostitutes.
Limerick District Court Judge Eugene O’Kelly made his comments after he was told that an application for anti-social behaviour orders against eight women suspected of soliciting men for sex would not be proceeding,
Sgt Donal Cronin said that the that here was no longer a need for a court order as the “initial orders given by An Garda Siochana had the desired effect in the community.”
When told by legal aid defence solicitor, Darach McCarthy, that the women were linked to a town in Romania and were brought to Ireland by criminals “under a certain amount of duress”, Judge O’Kelly said that the thrust of prosecutions should switch from “these vulnerable young ladies”and focus on those who pay for sex.
Stating that he had done a great deal of research into the matter, Mr McCarthy said he had his suspicions for the reason why the women were here.
“Like others, they are allegedly working in prostitution and it seems to be concentrated from one area in Romania. I am not saying they are trafficked here, but I believe that there is a great deal of duress involved”.
The eight women were brought before the court for breach the Garda ASBO orders issued last August.
Applying for a legal aid certificate in relation to four of the eight women, Mr McCarthy said he believed that “organised criminals brought them here and they are not earning the money that is linked to this type of activity.”
Judge O’Kelly said that the women were a “conduit for passing money from Ireland to Romania”.
He added that they were well served by Mr McCarthy’s in-depth approach to the case, but there should be “a change in the thrust of prosecutions and people who avail of this services and this activity who should be before the courts and not the victims who are under aggressive pressure to engage in prostitution”.
After being told that the application would not be proceeding, Judge O’Kelly said that “if the demand for prostitution was the object of Garda attention rather than taking prosecutions against a group of vulnerable young ladies brought in by criminal gangs then there might be more progress made in getting the problem solved”.
