THE SEXUAL FREEDOM COALITION

Tim Brain
Chief Constable of Gloucestershire
Gloucester Police Headquarters
Talbot House
Landsdowne Road
Cheltenham GL51 6QT

28th January 2005

Dear Chief Constable Brain,

Re: Prostitution

We address you in your capacity as Spokesperson on Vice for the Association of Chief Police Officers. We urge you to reconsider your zero tolerance policy on prostitution, and note that Liverpool City Council has just voted "overwhelmingly" to go ahead with plans for a Zone.

The Government has promised to radically alter the law as soon as last year’s Home Office Consultation Paper has been evaluated. In other words, the status quo is deemed unacceptable.

It is therefore illogical to give priority to enforcing the status quo, which consists of victimless crimes association with prostitution. Who is trying to protect whom from what, and why? States which have lawful brothels (e.g. Australia, New Zealand, Denmark, Netherlands, Switzerland and Germany) suffer no ill effects.

In any event, prostitution itself is legal in this country. It is thus inequitable for the Police to use their best endeavours to make it impossible for this lawful activity to function. If advertising, brothels and tolerance zones are suppressed, how is a prostitute supposed to practise his or her lawful profession?

Yours, for the human right of sexual freedom for consenting adults,

Dr Tuppy Owens
Chair, SFC