Trafficked women in Camden - 98% of massage parlours "brothels"

According to the police, practically all saunas / massage parlours in Camden are brothels. There, confirmation of an open secret.

But despite concerns about the numbers of trafficked women working in prostitution here in Camden, the issue is falling between two stools as the police and the council look to each other to take the lead.

Since 2004, when former Cantelowes Labour Cllr. Gerry Harrison and I raised the issue, the Town Hall has been in a state of denial about the issue, which amounts to sex-slavery in the ‘massage parlours’ operating in the borough.

The response, from some leading councillors was similar to the one under the current administration – denial. It seems people were more interested in looking into much more regulated activity, like pole-dancing at Spearmint Rhinos, than the open secret of Camden’s saunas literally just around the corner.

The issue came to the fore with the burning down of A Touch of Class on Royal College Street, and two deaths.

In a special CNJ investigation this week the local police were quite frank about the issue: “Of the massage parlours in the high street that I or my officers have dealt with, 98 per cent are fronts for prostitution, and I am happy to say that on the record. The specific ones advertising massage or sauna – these are fronts, brothels.”

Moreover, as massage parlours they pay over £4k to the council a year for “special treatment” licences, like nail salons and hairdressers.

The de facto legalisation of prostitution raises important policy issues (not least should councils be making money from fees raised by trafficked women). Harriet Harman has developed a prostitution strategy, although this seems aimed at street prostitutes rather than saunas.

Obviously, solutions are not easy to come by as trafficked women will more often than not be illegal immigrants and their deportation back home – and suspicion of testimony against their pimps – would put them at extra risk. Some also say that it would just push the problem further underground.

That said, just because an issue is a difficult one shouldn’t mean that the status quo is acceptable. I’d welcome view on this.

Update: I received this report from the POPPY project on brothels just now, makes for very interesting reading.