"thai Sex Slaves " Article

[bambob]

One day a week off for Thai 'sex slaves' in Australia

13 April 2005

By DANIELLA MILETIC

The owner of a Melbourne brothel and her manager kept five Thai women as sex slaves to work off "created or dodgy" debts of up to $A45,000 ($NZ48,300) to cover costs, including their travel, a court heard yesterday.

The County Court was told the women were given one day a week off work in the Fitzroy brothel, though most worked a seventh day for "pocket money".

Crown prosecutor Jeanette Morrish, QC, said the women were brought to Melbourne from Thailand knowing they would work in the sex industry and hoping to eventually be able to work legally.

The owner of the brothel, Wei Tang, 42, and the brothel's manager, Paul Pick, 46, both of North Balwyn, have pleaded not guilty to five counts each of possessing a slave and five each of exercising power over a slave.

If convicted, it is believed Tang and Pick would be the first people sentenced in Victoria under Australia's sexual servitude laws and face a maximum penalty of 25 years' jail.

The alleged offences occurred between August 2002 and May 2003, when the five women were found after an Immigration Department raid on Tang's Fitzroy brothel Club 417.

Ms Morrish told a jury that the women had their passports taken from them and were forced to perform sex acts to cover the costs of air fares, visas, passports and living costs. Clients would pay $110 for sex, but only $50 of the fee went to paying off the women's debts, Ms Morrish said.

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The five women were told to work six-day weeks and that on their day off they could choose to work for "pocket money".

Before the raid, two women had repaid their debts, Ms Morrish said. Both had thrown away the notebooks they had kept to record their debt repayment.

One woman, who in March 2003 decided to travel from Thailand to Australia to work in the sex industry, believed she would have to work off a $A35,000 debt and that it would take three to four months to do that. But on arrival, she was told she would have to service 900 clients to work off a new sum of $A45,000.

Should the brothel be raided, the woman was told to say she had accumulated a large debt at the casino and had to work it off as a sex worker, Ms Morrish said.

Ms Morrish said that although the women consented to working off their debts, in the law, consent was not a defence for slavery.

The trial, before Judge Michael McInerney, continues.

source: http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,3247262a12,00.html

[ProfessorFart]

I hope they throw away the key!!

[dr_Pat_Pong]

I hope they throw away the key!!

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They probably will

[ProfessorFart]

And I hope Mr Pick gets a bit of sex slave action in jail!

[devildog683]

And I hope Mr Pick gets a bit of sex slave action in jail!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

he better

[snoophound]

That sleaze was prob just the minder.

*rest of post edited because snoophound decided to slander an entire race as the source of the problem. Don't bring your racism here plese.*

And I hope Mr Pick gets a bit of sex slave action in jail!

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he better

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Edited April 15, 2005 by cdnvic

[sua yai]

Mr P"r"ick might just find a few where he's going.

[snoophound]

OK

Just stating a fact I can back up with personal experience in helping some of the victims.

Without mentioning race the major problem in Syd and Melb is the money lenders operate in and around the casinos ,lending money at very high rates(5-20% per mth) and then when the girls cant pay up ,they get a new job in a brothel owned by the lenders or friends which is very hard to get out of.

Also both of the last two published cases slavery cases one in syd and one in melb were in non Au or Thai owned establishments.

That sleaze was prob just the minder.

*rest of post edited because snoophound decided to slander an entire race as the source of the problem. Don't bring your racism here plese.*

And I hope Mr Pick gets a bit of sex slave action in jail!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

he better

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

[snoophound]

http://www.projectrespect.org.au/resources/submission.pdf

[aqua4]

Slavery

I would not think so. The article was poorly written for a start which turns a legal issue into an emotional issue. Nothin more than sensational.

1.

They where prostitutes. They accepted an offer to make money in Australia and agreed to the terms and conditions.

Jeanette Morrish, QC, said the women were brought to Melbourne from Thailand knowing they would work in the sex industry

2.

They knew that they would perform sexual services at a price and work on commission for upfront costs airline tickets etc.

Believed she would have to work off a $A35,000 debt and that it would take three to four months to do that.

3.

Passports taken, why? To guarantee that they would not stiff the owner of costs already incurred. If they did not agree to it, which they did, why not go to the police on a Sunday when they has a day off?

Ms Morrish told a jury that the women had their passports taken from them and were forced to perform sex acts (Was that not why they where there?) to cover the costs of air fares, visas, passports and living costs.

4.

Ms Morrish said that although the women consented to working off their debts, in the law, consent was not a defence for slavery

So, now the story changes. They consented and accepted. The definition of 'sexual servitude' refers to a person not being free to leave the place or area where the person provides sexual services.

The UN Protocol : The consent of a victim of trafficking in persons to the intended exploitation…shall be irrelevant.

However, they had not been charged with trafficking and/or, they had only been charged with sexual servitude.

It's going to be an interesting legal outcome.

[gburns57au]

Slavery 

I would not think so. The article was poorly written for a start which turns a legal issue into an emotional issue. Nothin more than sensational.

1.

They where prostitutes. They accepted an offer to make money in Australia and agreed to the terms and conditions.

Jeanette Morrish, QC, said the women were brought to Melbourne from Thailand knowing they would work in the sex industry

2.

They knew that they would perform sexual services at a price and work on commission for upfront costs airline tickets etc.

Believed she would have to work off a $A35,000 debt and that it would take three to four months to do that.

3.

Passports taken, why? To guarantee that they would not stiff the owner of costs already incurred. If they did not agree to it, which they did, why not go to the police on a Sunday when they has a day off?

Ms Morrish told a jury that the women had their passports taken from them and were forced to perform sex acts (Was that not why they where there?) to cover the costs of air fares, visas, passports and living costs.

4.

Ms Morrish said that although the women consented to working off their debts, in the law, consent was not a defence for slavery

So, now the story changes. They consented and accepted. The definition of 'sexual servitude' refers to a person not being free to leave the place or area where the person provides sexual services.

The UN Protocol : The consent of a victim of trafficking in persons to the intended exploitation…shall be irrelevant.

However, they had not been charged with trafficking and/or, they had only been charged with sexual servitude.

It's going to be an interesting legal outcome. 

Taking the passports was the big mistake.....by doing that they took away the girls freedom....A Foreign person new to Oz needs ID...in most cases the paaport is their only form of recognisable ID.

The brothel in Sydney was owned by a Viet.....she needed a Viet translator in court.

[spacebass]

They would never get a day off per week in LOS so they have presumably achieved their aim of improving their standard of living... don't knock it!!!

Edited April 27, 2005 by spacebass

[aqua4]

Sorry mate,

If you got robbed of your passport in LOS, just go to the police or the embassy. No freedom was taken away by taking their passports!

They wanted to make money - They did! Is this not way the headline reads "Sex Slaves"?

Taking the passports was the big mistake.....by doing that they took away the girls freedom....A Foreign person new to Oz needs ID...in most cases the paaport is their only form of recognisable ID.

The brothel in Sydney was owned by a Viet.....she needed a Viet translator in court.

Edited April 27, 2005 by aqua4

[gburns57au]

Sorry mate,

If you got robbed of your passport in LOS, just go to the police or the embassy. No freedom was taken away by taking their passports!

Lets consider.....Melbourne.....they came to Oz to work in the sex trade illegally...to pay off a debt that has been created....Their passports are taken away from them....Do you really think that they would just go and ring the coppers or the embassy.

The brothel owner knows this and uses it against them....anyone who is restrained by physical force or non physical force has their freedom taken away...Non physical force includes real and implied threats. Physical force can be just a matter of locking a door. By taking away the passports and not returning them until the supposed debt is paid they are using non physical force to ensure the girls comply....thereby robbing them of their free will.

Sydney....a different case...the girl claims she was lured here with the promise of a non existent job and was then forced to work in brothels to pay back the debt incurred in bringing her over.