Prostitution proposals have poor record of success

12.00.00am GMT Wed 19th Nov 2008

Commenting on today's Government announcement on criminalising paying for sex with women 'controlled for another's gain', Liberal Democrat Shadow Home Secretary, Chris Huhne said:

"Everyone wants to protect women from exploitation but the Finnish system of criminalising clients has had a poor record of successful prosecutions.

"Help for the victims would be more convincing if the Government hadn't slashed the budget for human trafficking investigations last week and shut down the leading unit.

"The proposal to close brothels runs the risk of driving already vulnerable women underground and into the hands of pimps and pushers."