Humberside Police crackdown on "Traumatic" sexual exploitation

Through September, the force is making a renewed effort to safeguard women exploited through sex work.

Author: Laurence GriffinPublished 25th Sep 2023

Pop-up brothels are the targets of Humberside Police's sexual exploitation intensification month. Some officers are taking to adult services sites to track down victims of sex work and offer them safeguarding advice.

They are also asking people across East Yorkshire and Northern Lincolnshire to be on the lookout for signs that sexual exploitation is going on.

Last week a man and a woman were arrested in connection with alleged sexual exploitation of a woman in Hull.

Richard Kirk, Detective Sargent for Humberside's Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking team, said: "Properties we deal with will keep it very low-key so they dip under the radar but it's those little signs of men coming and going, vehicles coming and parking up throughout the course of an evening and through the night."

We've got to look at these women as somebody's daughter, somebody's mother

Humberside Police are aiming to protect and help women who are forced into sex work, often after being trafficked into the country, rather than trying to punish the women in involved.

DS Richard Kirk said: "We've got to look at these women as somebody's daughter, somebody's mother, somebody's grandmother, and see them as loving, caring human beings who are being put through some of the most traumatic experiences that nobody should encounter.

"Being forced into providing sexual services daily, hourly, sometimes every 15 minutes with a different person - that trauma carries forward with them for the rest of their lives."

Humberside Police are urging anyone with suspicions to report them on 101 or 999 in an emergency, or through Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 if they wish to remain anonymous.

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