Police seek 'sex favours'

2008-07-14 13:26

Llewellyn Prince

Cape Town - More than a quarter of the Mother City's 250 street sex workers (28%) who have been arrested, were offered their freedom in exchange for sex with police officers, while 12% were raped by a police officer.

Furthermore, 63% were verbally abused by a police officer and 47% were threatened with physical violence by an officer of the law.

These shocking findings are revealed in a book, Selling Sex in Cape Town. The publication was distributed this month by the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) and the Sexworkers Education & Advocacy Taskforce (Sweat).

Sweat is a non-governmental organisation fighting for the rights of sex workers. The research was done between 2006 and 2008.

According to the book, there are at least 250 sex workers on Cape Town's streets and about 960 in 103 brothels or private homes.

Only sex workers between 18 and 54 were questioned, and it was found that police were more tolerant towards sex workers in brothels.

Prostitution illegal

Meanwhile, Western Cape police said they could not comment on the research, but added that prostitution was illegal and guilty parties would be prosecuted.

Nicolé Fick, a Sweat researcher who worked on the book, said sex workers only wanted to be treated with decency when they were arrested. They usually pay fines from between R50 and R500.

"The moment they speak out about police treatment, they are victimised. That is why they no longer want to lay complaints against the police, but bring them to our offices. The police are their biggest fear."

Fick said this was the reason Sweat had brought an application in the Cape Town High Court in which it asked that police officers be prohibited from harassing sex workers. The application will be heard early next year.

According to her, Sweat had helped sex workers to lay more than 48 charges with the Independent Complaints Directorate (ICD) since 2004. "With the exception of one, not one of the complaints has been investigated."

'What is happening can't be ignored'

Senior researcher at the ISS and author of the book, Chandré Gould, said the relationship between police and sex workers was not the main focus of the book. "We did not want to smear the police, but what is happening can't be ignored.

"The aim of the book was to establish how big human trafficking is in South Africa. There is little proof of this but a lot of evidence exists about the exploitation and abuse of sex workers."

Western Cape police spokesperson Senior Superintendent Billy Jones said anyone, regardless of their status or position, should lay a charge with police if crimes are committed against them.

"It will be investigated. Police officers are aware of the fact that there will be appropriate action taken against them if they commit crimes."

ICD spokesperson Dikeledi Phiri said it was highly unlikely that sex workers' complaints were not investigated by the body. "I will have to do some research, but there must be a reason for the delay."

Chairperson of the Cape Town City Council's Portfolio Committee on Safety and Security, JP Smith, said as long as prostitution was illegal, the city would continue enforcing the law.

- Die Burger