Naas brothel is now 'shut down' while national organisation voices concern for women
Brothels are a real issue in Co Kildare according to a support organisation for women in prostitution and trafficking.
Just as a brothel is shut down in Naas town centre, with four arrested, a site advertising sex for sale, reveals that there are 12 new arrivals in the county, available to sell sex.
This comes with Ruhama’s revelations that despite new legislation since March, no buyers of sex have yet been prosecuted.
On North Main St, Naas, earlier this week, Gardaí arrested two men and two women, who are in their mid -thirties. They are all facing charges of operating a brothel. A file has been sent to the DPP.
Ruth Breslin is concerned that despite it being illegal to advertise sex for sale in Ireland, pimps are setting up servers abroad and advertising in areas around Ireland, including all Co Kildare towns.
She is concerned that the indoor purchase of sex is more sinister and can be more likely to include women who did not choose that path.
Ms Breslin says that there are currently only about 500 on street prostitutes while there are about 1,000 women indoors selling sex. On street prostitution has been decriminalised while women can still be fined if found to be selling sex indoors.
She said: “At any given time, there could be 1,000 women trading indoors for sex. They could be in a private house, working in what is being described as a massage parlour, in a hotel, anywhere. Women are moved around a lot. There is a big demand for new girls.”
Over the past 12 months Ruhama has offered supports to 304 women around the country. Practical and emotional supports are offered to the women.
According to Ms Breslin, many of the on street prostitutes initially join due to a drugs problem while those selling sex indoors develop a drugs problem, in a bid to cope.
She is concerned that trafficking is more likely to be an issue with indoor brothels.
Of the 304 women being cared for by Ruhama last year, 94 were trafficking victims.
Ms Breslin said: “Some are victims of trafficking, for other women it is life circumstances. They could have mental health problems, debt problems, it could be that they feel they have no choice. A lot of these women are vulnerable. Some are victims of child abuse, they may have violent boyfriends who could also be their pimps.”
Ruhama reveals that of the 500 women on the street last year, only 56 were Irish.
A large section of Nigerian, Romanian and Brazilian women are found to be involved in prostitution and can also be victims of trafficking.