I think it's pretty significant to not be able to be criminalised for being victimised. At least, not more than any civilian woman. Nor to be criminalised for taking steps to avoid victimisation.
![From '“Exposed from all sides”: The Role of Policing in Sex Workers’ Access to Justice' by the European Sex Workers' Rights Alliance
Notable excerpts:
"The systematic imposition of fines pushes sex workers into economic hardship and financial insecurity. It forces them to work under less secure conditions in order to cover fines and make up for lost income. This financial pressure also renders sex workers more vulnerable to clients and the police, creating conditions for abuse, threats, and coercion."
"We all sometimes have a problem with a client in a room. We’re not going to call the police. Why? Because we’re going to get fined. So we try to stand up for ourselves. [...] Maybe faster, we’d call a colleague and say: “Look, come here, I’m having problems with this client.” Why call the police? Because the police will come and they will fine us 700 francs, which in many countries is enough to pay for the children’s food and water, electricity, and gas. Cristina, Switzerland"
"We have been penalised for keeping ourselves safe because we were working together. We would be working more safely because we have been attacked before. And because we were working together, they said it was a brothel. And that was the reason that the police had an excuse to come in and raid us, which led to my friend Patricia being arrested and deported. Estelle, UK"](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:7nihtzi26tao27bv4ecf43tk/bafkreigvscnsfd62oassz2ejzohrtlxws32fqlz3alxhw4gjqtuzdibvty@jpeg)
January 17, 2026 at 8:30 PM
I think it's pretty significant to not be able to be criminalised for being victimised. At least, not more than any civilian woman. Nor to be criminalised for taking steps to avoid victimisation.
This is not the only claim. Another, more important point is that workers are less compelled to work in dangerous, obscure conditions for fear of police molestation. They are less vulnerable to clients and police.
January 17, 2026 at 8:30 PM
This is not the only claim. Another, more important point is that workers are less compelled to work in dangerous, obscure conditions for fear of police molestation. They are less vulnerable to clients and police.
