MEDIA RELEASE

27 January 2012

Brothel By Primary School Highlights Flawed Law

Family First NZ says that a brothel opening next door to Richmond Road Primary School in Auckland highlights the flaws of the prostitution laws and its failure to protect families.

“For a large scale brothel with up to 30 prostitutes to be able to open in an apartment block right next to a school shows that the law has failed our families,” says Bob McCoskrie, National Director of Family First NZ.

“When introducing the decriminalisation of prostitution, the then-Minister of Justice, the Hon Phil Goff said that controls were needed ‘to prevent the establishment of places of prostitution where they are offensive or inappropriate. Most of us would not want to see brothels established in residential areas or adjacent to preschools or schools’. This commitment has not been met and its time for the government to amend the law in the interests of families,” says Mr McCoskrie.

“To allow brothels next to a family home or sensitive site such as a school, playground or church is unacceptable. We already have accounts of residential brothels where men willing to pay for sex are knocking on nearby homes trying to find the brothel. There are also concerns about littering, noise and nuisance, a reduced sense of public safety, traffic, intimidation, and late-night visits. We must not expose our children and families to that level of risk.”

A poll of 1,000 people undertaken by Curia Market Research last year found that 66% want brothels banned in residential areas, 26% disagreed, and the remainder (8%) were either unsure or refused to answer. More women than men wanted the ban.

“This result should give the government and local councils the green light to get the red light out of residential areas.”

“The decriminalisation of prostitution has been a community disaster harming families, businesses, and the welfare of workers caught in the industry. Cities throughout NZ have been trying to deal with the ‘hospital pass’ given by the politicians when they passed this law,” says Mr McCoskrie. “It’s time to fix it.”

ENDS

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