Sex workers group seeks meeting with Flanagan

The Sex Workers Alliance Ireland (SWAI) says it believes Ireland’s new sex purchase laws have contributed to at least ten knife attacks on transgender sex workers in inner Dublin since May, The Times reports.

It believes an increase in penalties for brothel-keeping since the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Act was enacted in February has forced more women to work alone and in dangerous situations.

Under the current law, two sex workers operating from the same address could find themselves prosecuted for brothel-keeping.

Kate McGrew, a spokesperson for SWAI, told The Times there was also a transphobic element to the attacks.

She said: “If we had proper hate crime legislation in Ireland, I am sure that the attacks would have been classed as that.”