# Prostitution

This year

2023

# Organised Crime

Trafficked sex workers are being forced to pay over €5,000 a month to crime gangs

Detectives are investigating a number of property owners who are providing apartments to organised crime groups.

23.1k

Apr 18th 2023, 12:05 AM

# Court of Appeal

Landmark human trafficking case sees jail sentences increased for forced prostitution

The Court of Appeal quashed the original sentence and re-sentenced both women to increased jail terms.

16.3k

Feb 20th 2023, 8:10 PM

# Courts

Human trafficking and prostitution trial of two Brazilian women collapses

The judge said that the case could not proceed due to ‘unforeseen circumstances’ but will begin before a new jury later in the month.

19.8k

Feb 8th 2023, 4:02 PM

Last year

2022

# Sex Trade

Gardaí probe concerns of sexual trafficking in the south-west

Enquiries have also been launched into a ‘pimp’ operating in an undisclosed part of the country.

19.0k

Nov 30th 2022, 1:51 PM

# Report

State is failing to protect sex workers from violence, Amnesty International says

The group said a law introduced in 2017 which criminalises the purchase of sex in Ireland is facilitating the abuse of sex workers.

8.2k

Jan 25th 2022, 9:40 AM

All time

# Courts

Two women charged over alleged human trafficking offences due in court

They will appear before the Criminal Courts of Justice at 10.30am today.

19.9k

Jul 3rd 2021, 9:40 AM

# Prostitution

Over 600 'sale of sex' convictions to be expunged in effort to recognise vulnerable victims

It follows on from law changes introduced in 2017.

45.4k

Apr 25th 2021, 3:37 PM

# Hani Ali Showky

New garda vice unit brings 71 extra charges against man accused of running brothels

Mr Showky and his partner allegedly ran brothels across Dublin.

40.7k

Feb 2nd 2021, 5:20 PM

# Arrests

Man and woman arrested as part of investigations into prostitution and organised crime

They are currently being detained at a Dublin garda station.

34.8k

Oct 15th 2020, 8:51 PM

# Child Protection

'You're not screening for them': Concern that trafficked Irish children are falling through the cracks

The OSCE’s special representative for combating human trafficking said children in foster care or those who came from abusive backgrounds are particularly vulnerable.

27.5k

Feb 23rd 2020, 6:30 AM

# Prostitution

Gardaí speak to 23 people suspected of purchasing sexual services

Gardaí carried out a number of days of action across the country last week.

27.6k

Nov 27th 2019, 2:54 PM

# Prostitution

Leaders of crime gang running several brothels in London jailed for eight years

One victim said she was told her family in Brazil would be killed if she tried to leave.

30.0k

Oct 28th 2019, 4:35 PM

# Sexual Exploitation

Man arrested on suspicion of human trafficking, brothel keeping and money laundering in Belfast

A 27-year-old woman has also been arrested in the Antrim area on suspicion of controlling prostitution.

14.4k

Sep 29th 2019, 4:19 PM

# crackdown

Gardaí question 38 people suspected of purchasing sexual services

Gardaí conducted a number of targeted operations across the country last week.

45.3k

120

Sep 27th 2019, 10:04 AM

# Prostitution

Banning the purchase of sex in NI has actually led to an increase in sex workers, report finds

It is estimated that the number of sex workers advertising per day is 308.

18.4k

Sep 18th 2019, 1:33 PM

# Santry

Gardaí attempt to tackle 'highest concentration of sex workers' in north Dublin suburb

The area has been pinpointed by gardaí as an area of concern.

120k

Aug 18th 2019, 6:00 AM

Voices

Opinion: Buyers of sex are getting more violent, increasingly influenced by what they see in porn

There is a whole generation of violent porn-watchers and they are seeking more and more extreme things from the women in prostitution, writes a Ruhama caseworker.

52.9k

144

May 6th 2019, 7:00 AM

# crimecall

'I tried to fight so hard. I was chained and I had bruises': Woman forced into prostitution speaks out

Mary spoke about her ordeal, and what she had to do while she was kept by her human traffickers.

61.5k

Apr 29th 2019, 7:41 PM

# sex work

36 people questioned by gardaí as part of weekend operation targeting the buying of sex

Gardaí said they carried out operations in six divisions last weekend.

35.5k

Apr 29th 2019, 5:14 PM

Voices

Opinion: Laws that criminalise sex buyers are making life more dangerous for sex workers

How long more can our government ignore the growing body of evidence that shows that their policies are endangering to the physical and mental health of sex workers, writes Kate McGrew.

19.4k

Mar 28th 2019, 7:00 AM

# Trafficking

Report on Ireland's sex industry: 'Highly organised, thriving in every county'

A report compared the legislative approaches in six EU countries to tackling human trafficking in prostitution.

65.4k

Nov 13th 2018, 6:10 AM

# Sex Workers

Concerns growing about the number of underage boys being abused in Dublin brothels

A number of suspected brothels have been raided by gardaí in the last year.

77.0k

113

Oct 27th 2018, 10:00 PM

Voices

Consent: 'The purchase of sex is conducted without regard for women’s pleasure'

Prostitution undermines consent and women’s bodily autonomy, writes Samantha Slater.

38.6k

227

Jul 4th 2018, 7:00 AM

# ruhama

Irish service supported 109 people affected by sex trafficking last year

The nationalities that had the highest access rate to Ruhama’s casework service were Nigerian (63 cases) and Irish (41)

9.7k

Jun 18th 2018, 1:57 PM

# Prostitution

Gardaí shut down seven brothels in Carlow and Kilkenny

No arrests were made on foot of the inspections of the properties.

85.5k

126

May 11th 2018, 9:38 PM

# Scandal

Red Cross says more than 20 staff have left after 'paying for sexual services'

There is concern that a number of incidents have not been reported, or that reported cases may have been mishandled.

12.0k

Feb 24th 2018, 12:24 PM

# Prostitution

Buying sex has been illegal in Ireland for one year but 'very little' has changed

Supporters and detractors of the new law have spoken of their frustration over the new bill.

62.6k

203

Feb 23rd 2018, 6:01 AM

# oxfam uk

Oxfam chief executive says criticism over prostitution scandal has been 'disproportionate'

Chief executive Mark Goldring has repeatedly apologised for failings in the way the charity dealt with claims of sexual misconduct.

12.5k

Feb 17th 2018, 4:24 PM

# oxfam ireland

Oxfam Ireland emails supporters, promises to 'rebuild trust' after UK staff's Haiti prostitution scandal

Oxfam Ireland confirmed that none of its staff were involved in the scandal.

10.4k

Feb 14th 2018, 9:28 PM

# Resignation

Deputy chief executive of Oxfam in the UK resigns over prostitution scandal in Haiti

Penny Lawrence said that she was “desperately sorry” for the harm and distress that had been caused.

11.5k

Feb 12th 2018, 3:11 PM

# Coventry

Three men jailed for plying 14-year-old girl with drugs and forcing her into prostitution in UK

She was reported missing on 8 June 2015. However, she was being held in one of the men’s houses.

51.3k

Jan 11th 2018, 4:24 PM

# Sexual Offences

Prostitution offences have dropped hugely in the last five years

New figures from the gardaí and the CSO suggest that sexual offences have diminished massively in recent times.

21.4k

Nov 25th 2017, 7:30 AM

Voices

Grafton Street 1870: 'The street literally swarmed with women of loose character'

Come Here To Me! Vol. 2 celebrates an unexplored Dublin: its public duels and street gangs, suffragettes and drag queens, as well as its not-so-secret gay bars and failed vegetarian societies.

20.7k

Oct 15th 2017, 3:30 PM

# Southeast Asia

Members of gang which ran prostitution ring in UK hotels convicted

In total, the operation generated hundreds of thousands of pounds.

14.2k

Oct 6th 2017, 1:19 PM

# call andreea

People urged to call Irish mobile number to hear the reality of sex trafficking here

Ruhama is urging people to call the number and hear what ‘Andreea’ has to say.

35.9k

Sep 20th 2017, 6:09 PM

# ruhama

'Most prostitution here is run by organised crime gangs': Irish service helped 92 victims of sex trafficking in 2016

Ruhama worked with 304 women of 37 nationalities last year.

19.8k

149

Aug 28th 2017, 12:41 PM

# Human Trafficking

‘It wouldn’t happen in D4’: Locals plan to block streets ahead of U2 gig to protest ‘red light district’

The protesters allege that two massage parlours in the area are operating as brothels while a third business, which has since closed, was also a front for prostitution.

41.9k

Jul 7th 2017, 6:00 AM