2014 sex trade warning

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

An increase in human trafficking and prostitution could be an unwelcome result of the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games could see, MSPs have been warned.

Holyrood's equal opportunities committee is being urged to take action to avoid women being brought to the city to be sexually exploited.

The warning comes in a submission from Glasgow Community and Safety Services. One of its projects to help women trafficked or exploited has supported dozens of people in the past year.

Glasgow Community and Safety Services (GCSS) manages the Trafficking Awareness Raising Alliance (Tara). Tara figures showed that in the year to March 2010, a total of 47 women were referred to them, ranging in age from 18 to 45.

Eleven women were trafficked to and exploited in Scotland, in areas including Aberdeen and Stranraer. Five women were trafficked for domestic slavery and a further 14 women who had not been trafficked were raped, sexually assaulted, prostituted, had suffered domestic abuse or been forced into marriage.

The three most common nationalities were Nigerian, Brazilian and Chinese.

The GCSS submission states: "There is concern that the Olympic Games in London and the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow may increase the threat of human trafficking into the UK and preventative measures need to be put in place now.

"There is evidence to suggest that trafficking and prostitution increases in places where large sporting events are being held, for example, 2004 Athens Olympics and the 2006 World Cup in Germany."