Protecting Prostitutes: How the Legal Blind Eye Brings Violence to the Oldest Profession

A recent wave of murders in England has UK police on the hunt for a serial killer that is targeting prostitutes. The violence against these sex workers is a pattern that has been repeated throughout the country for decades. The recent crimes have refueled the historical debate on society's attitude and responsibilities toward the oldest profession.

In the UK, prostitution is not illegal but soliciting a prostitute and operating a brothel are. The same goes for France and Sweden where offering sex for money is not a crime but clients risk prosecution. In both the Netherlands and Germany prostitutes are considered legally self-employed persons whose income is subject to tax. In these two countries prostitution occurs in managed zones, brothels and red light districts.

The five women recently murdered in Suffolk County were all street prostitutes, meaning they were alone on the street when they encountered their murderer. Although the town of Ipswich where they solicited clients had a managed red light district, use of the unpopulated area was limited to nighttime and no sexual activity was allowed to take place there.

Ultimately, the street prostitutes solicit business in a dark, dangerous area and are then required to leave to an even more remote area. The last image of Suffolk County murder victim Tania Nicol is from a closed circuit street surveillance camera. It shows the young woman walking alone on a deserted street. It is obvious from the images how vulnerable a situation all of these women were in.

According to the BBC, none of the women murdered in Suffolk County were sexually assaulted. As the police develop the murderer's profile, many motives are under consideration. Regardless of the reason behind the crimes, one fact seems blatantly clear: these women were targeted by the killer because they were vulnerable.