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Rector in court to support Soho brothel
Anna Davis17 Feb 2009
A RECTOR has come to the rescue of a group of prostitutes who face having their Soho brothel closed.
The Rev David Gilmore, from St Anne's Anglican Church in Soho, was called to court over the closure of two flats used by prostitutes.
Police claim the premises in Dean Street provide a haven for drug dealers and thieves and are seeking to close them permamently.
Mr Gilmore gave evidence at Westminster magistrates' court on behalf of the prostitutes after being called by their lawyer.
The brothel was temporarily shut two weeks ago and magistrates will decide whether to make the closure permanent.
Speaking in court, Mr Gilmore claimed he had seen no difference in the level of drug dealing since the brothel was closed.
“I live five doors away from the brothel. I have seen drug dealing going on opposite the rectory but I have never seen drug dealing going on outside [the brothel],” he said.
“Soho has a problem with drug dealing given the nature of the area with clubs and everywhere else — it happens.”
He said his church suffers from the same problems: “CCTV has picked up 20 people who entered the church alleyway and were using the premises to deal drugs.”
Residents, bar staff, shop owners and restaurateurs in the area have also complained about the closure and claim sex workers are an integral part of Soho, according to the English Collective of Prostitutes. The court also heard from Eileen Ravi, one of the prostitutes working in the Dean Street brothel.
“The closure would lead to the loss of my income and the place I stay for six months a year,” she said.
Lucy Collins, who works with the prostitutes, said she had never seen any crime because the place was comprehensively monitored by CCTV and fitted with a Tannoy that was used to get rid of troublesome visitors.
Mark Ford, who lives nearby, said: “Drug dealing goes on in dark corners. I live in a dark place opposite a primary school and I feel the school should be more answerable to drug dealing than the girls [at the brothel].
“They have a well-lit property but the junior school is a nasty, dark little alcove where I have seen people shooting up and I have seen people being beaten up.”
But Sergeant Dean Else told the court the first and second-floor flats were issued with a closure notice two weeks ago because of persistent anti-social behaviour, drug dealing and theft outside the property.
Applying for a permanent closure, he said the communal door to the brothel was left open, giving a secluded space for drug dealers and users. The court heard one thief left a man with his wrists slashed on the stairway.
Sgt Else said: “This is not about persecuting them because they are prostitutes.”
A prostitutes' collective spokeswoman said she feared police were targeting Soho and more closures could follow. Another brothel was closed last month.
She said women could have to work the streets instead of safer flats — where there had never been a murder. A woman evicted from a brothel in 2002 was killed by the “Camden ripper”.
The court will decide whether to approve the closure application tomorrow.
Reader views (20)
Closing these places is an increadibly short-sighted soloution, drug dealing and violent crimes happen throughout London and will continue to happen regardless of the prostitutes in Soho and by forcing them out of a safe working environment and into an unsafe one THEY'RE much more at risk to drugs and violence. Maybe if you're keen on cutting down drug dealing, theft, violence etc you should arrest some drug dealers, theives and murderers etc yeah? if people were dealing drugs outside your house would you close down your house? prostitution definately isn't going away, the best soloution is to make conditions as safe as possible for everyone involved.
- Stephen Maxwell, London, England, 17/05/2009 01:02
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For all those comments from people who have obviously never had to walk along Dean St passed the entrance to the prostitute flat, and the groups of intimidating druggies and touts who stand right outside, come and see it for yourself at 11pm - maybe you will change your badly informed minds. Hope fully that vicar will also realise his mistake as well.
Though Im glad to say that those woman have taken the ludicrous 'model' sign down. To those men who I see use the flats - you have no shame and as long as there are men out there who think it is socially acceptable to use prostitutes then there will always be prostitution whether it be on the street or in Dean Street, but there are people here, living and working who would be quite pleased to see this one gone.
- Soho Local, London, 19/02/2009 16:59
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Unfortunately the comments are being made on what the media have said........there are always two stories and people should consider all sides first before making judgements....there is much naivety here from people who can't/won't know the bigger picture...Police in Soho don't target prostitutes flats without reason.
- Englady, London, 19/02/2009 12:52
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Oh, how I ache to hear some common sense on these issues, the double standards we live by in this country beggar’s belief at times. Prostitution exists because there is a demand – exactly the same for drugs, alcohol, tobacco et al. All the Verity’s in London can’t change that no matter how righteous they feel – its human nature, and will always be so. It’s also called freedom of choice, and in a society increasing controlled, manipulated, watched & recorded by an army of hypocritical bureaucrats we soon won’t have any left. Rev Gilmore is just speaking common sense – he deserves all the support we can give him.
- David S, London, 18/02/2009 19:28
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We'll never be able to agree as a society on the arguments for or against prostituition. What we can and should agree on is the need to protect those put at risk by the actions of our own government.
- Lisa Grace, London, UK, 18/02/2009 09:22
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Especially for Verity - it is not men that comment on these subjects. These women and escpecially women who "sell" their bodes as "elite" escorts have a choice and are not exploited. It has always gone and always will do.
- Miss Berkshire, Berkshire, 18/02/2009 07:52
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Evictions like these create more danger for the sex workers. Sex workers are being targetted. Would they be evicted if they were running an advertising agency? I think not. To turn workers out of their businesses and onto the streets creating homelessness and jobless is immoral and inhuman. These women are not doing anything wrong. Leave them alone and get on with sorting out some crime. Target the ones costing the taxpayer money like the bankers.
- Dr Belinda Brooks-Gordon, London, 18/02/2009 01:32
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I used to work in Soho, and the brothels and flats were never a problem. It's great to see a clergyman standing up for the poor and vulnerable in our society, and not displaying the usual hypocrisy about prostitution that ends up victimising the women themselves.
- L Hall, London, 17/02/2009 23:56
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As described, this is absurd. The prostitutes face having their brothel closed because of what other people are allegedly doing in the hallway, not for their own activity (NB, Verity, this is why, with all respect, your comment is irrelevant).
Drug dealing occasionally occurs in railway underpasses. Will National Rail be closed? If I had a business office in the same block as these women, would I (who am not a prostitute) be subject to closure?
The magistrate should tell the prostitutes to fit a lock and entryphone and should tell the police to try to make a better job of watching for criminality in Dean Street - which it's exactly a hidden back street!
- David L, London, 17/02/2009 22:37
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Whenever this subject is raised we get the same old arguments - always from men (Kev of London take note). The bottom line is that selling bodies for sexual purposes is slavery and no government should sanction it. It exploits both the women and the men involved in this disgusting trade (and the trade itself is largely run by some extremely unpleasant people) and should not be justifiable in a civilised society.
- Verity, London UK, 17/02/2009 17:09
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The moral hazards of poverty.
Economists and Civil Servants have always advised politicians about the moral hazard that people will not go to work if their unemployment benefit is too high, but they forget the moral hazards when it is far below the minimum needed for healthy living, and the governmemnt's poverty threshold. Survival is a powerful motivator pushing decent people over the top into immoral and illegal behaviour. That is the danger of punitively reducing the deeply ungenerous and inadequate unemployment benefits in the UK with fines for a failure to engage with the authorities about work or training, when unemployment is increasing and when they are already far too low in this very expensive economy. In a single adult's benefit is 67% of average earnings; in the UK is is 40% at £60.50 a week. There are unintended consequences. They are Debt, mental illness,poor maternal nutrition affecting fetus and their babies,an increase in tuberculosis, prostitution and in the prison population.UK has 138 prisoners per 100,000 population France 96 (2004). Child poverty in the UK haa not increased since 1997 but is is still far higher than it was in 1979.
- Rev Paul Nicolson, London, 17/02/2009 16:32
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If the police go on closing the Soho brothels, then these women will be forced to work on the street causing more harm to the local community and putting them selves at greater risk. The police will them have to clear up the streets and deal with many more brutal murders and assaults.
Imagine when that new proposed legislation from Jacqui Smith hits the statute books, the local community would not even have time to protest, the brothels would just be closed up.
- Steve Blasdale, Home Counties, 17/02/2009 16:24
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The oldest profession is not going to go away,selling sex is as old as mankind.The only way forward is to control it in licensed properties IE brothels,if thay are closed it will simply force them onto the streets with the result it will be more visible,uncontrollable and and the pimps will control it which will then bring drug problems,intimidation and violence to a area.Soho has always been a place for sexual adventure and it has made it the place of fascination and character it is today,or used to be,a bland and sterile Soho will not be of a benefit to anybody and certainly wont be much fun and if you don't like it well you don't have to go there,there are enough sterile and bland character less places you can go to.Of course the police don't like it,the police are always scapegoating sex workers,and there not exactly renowned for promoting the concept of fun and hedonism are thay.
- Kev, London-UK, 17/02/2009 15:28
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If the local community believe the flats/brothels aren't the problem but that drug users are then that's the problem the police should address. Like most people I don't need the law to protect me from other people having consensual sex - what I do want very much is for fat cat drug dealers to be caught and punished. So while I see how much easier it is for the police to swoop down on women in their homes and advertised places of business I'd much prefer to hear they had used their great skills and stealth to apprehend those despicable parasites who make great fortunes on the backs of our vulnerable children and appear to be above the law.
- Patsy Lalfam, Leeds UK, 17/02/2009 15:24
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Prostitution should be legilised, taxed and licenced.
- Jeremy E, London, 17/02/2009 15:13
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If you will close the brothel houses. What do you think about 13 year old school boy dad and 14 year old mum?
Which is he more serious? In open and free society every thing is OK. Freedom freedom it is called broken society. Where there is no check and balance. Jungle Law.
- M A Sular, London, 17/02/2009 14:43
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Do working girls try to stop politicians or policemen trying to earn a living? No they don't. Leave them alone. I have lived in Soho for over ten years and have had nothing but kindness from the girls and madams. Stop inflicting your own hang ups on other people. It is middle-class people trying to control what they see as deviant behaviour. The stench of hypocricy is overwhelming.
- Sebasian Horsley, London., 17/02/2009 14:39
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Clearly a problem with drugs and drug dealers, so let's close the brothel! Unbelievable, always hit the little and the vulnerable and let the guilty and the big guys go unhindered. Closing the brothel will make no difference to the drug activity in Soho. The only achievement will be to put the girls on the street and in much greater danger than they are now. Shameful!
- Daniel, London, 17/02/2009 14:26
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They are not going to go away. They should be decriminalised, taxed and controlled.
- Frank, Home Counties, England., 17/02/2009 11:56
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I thought brothels were against the law in this country it should be closed
and this vicar should be fighting to have it closed.
- Terry Chambers, London, 17/02/2009 11:22
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