How many Women must be Murdered before Parliament Acts?

Media Release 25th May 2016

It is a great tragedy that another young Christchurch woman Renee Duckmanton, should be murdered, probably as a result of street prostitution. The Prostitution Reform Act decriminalising prostitution was passed by Parliament in 2003. Renee is the fourth prostitute to be murdered since the passing of the Act. Mallory Manning, 2008, Suzie Sutherland and another 24 year old in 2005, who has permanent name suppression. These murders are the ultimate violence inflicted on vulnerable and defenceless young women. The rapes and beatings that these young women endure are often not reported.

New Zealand, to our great shame, is allowing the trafficking and slavery of women in prostitution. Prostitution is a violation of human rights and violence against women, who are subject to assault, rape and murder. Many women are in prostitution not out of choice but through enslavement to drug and alcohol addiction. The infamous Prostitution Reform Act 2003 was initiated by Labour MP Tim Barnett and passed with support from Sue Bradford of the Green Party, under a Labour government. Labour forced its caucus to vote for the bill, which passed by a margin of 60 to 59. This Act permits women over the age of 18 to be prostitutes; it allows for street prostitution which enables predatory pimps to live off the earnings of prostitution. Prostitutes are now called sex workers. This blatant social engineering which seeks to normalise prostitution as a worthy career choice has and is causing huge damage to our society.

Right to Life believes that there will be no justice for women in New Zealand until we repeal the Prostitution Reform Act and proclaim that our women are not for sale.

The Act provides for men to live off the earnings of prostitution as pimps and as brothel owners. The Act infers that access to prostituted women is a fundamental human right. Right to Life believes that the Act should be repealed and replaced with the Swedish model that protects the dignity and human rights of women by outlawing prostitution and prosecuting the client of the prostitute. This model has proved to be successful in Sweden, Norway, Iceland.and Northern Ireland. Feminist organisations such as the Coalition Against Trafficking in Women (CATW) and the European Women’s Lobby also promote this approach as they believe sex work contributes to violence against women through male entitlement and objectification.

It is shameful that the Prostitution Reform Act has the support of the World Health Organisation, the Family Planning Association, the National Council of Women the YWCA and Amnesty International. These organisations claim to support the interests of women. In supporting this Act they have totally betrayed the women of New Zealand and are making a public statement that our women are for sale. In 2014 the Justice and Electoral Select Committee rejected a petition calling for the repeal of this Act and for legislation following the model followed in Sweden and elsewhere. It was rejected on the grounds that it would not be in the best interest of women in prostitution.

Ken Orr

Spokesperson,

Right to Life.

ENDS

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