3. Australia

3. Australia
§ Both decriminalization (NSW) and legalization (Victoria) have been instituted in Australia. The results have been the same: an explosive increase in all facets of the sex industry. Legal brothels, child prostitution and trafficking have all increased and authorities concede that the illegal sex trade is out of control. Illegal sex premises outnumber legal by 4:1 in Sydney (SMH: 2006) and many operators traffic women from Asia (Daily Telegraph 2006).
§ Illegal brothels outnumber legal 3:1 in Victoria. Many legal brothels reportedly are involved in the establishing and profiting from illegal brothels. Victoria, the first state to legalize prostitution, has the highest rates of child prostitution (Sullivan:2005). Street prostitution continues unabated and attempts to institute tolerance zones have come to nothing due to resistance from residents.

MYTH THAT DECRIMINALISATION/LEGALISATION OF PROSTITUTION IMPROVES THE LIVES OF WOMEN

2. MYTH THAT DECRIMINALISATION/LEGALISATION OF PROSTITUTION IMPROVES THE LIVES OF WOMEN
Arguments for decriminalization or legalization are usually based on the mistaken assumption that a regulated sex industry will contain and control the growth of the brothel and street trade, and eliminate - or at least greatly reduce - the associated drugs; abuse; violence; organized crime; child prostitution and trafficking.
There is no evidence, however, to support these claims. In countries such as Netherlands, Australia and Germany where these policies were adopted the opposite happened and there has been a dramatic increase in legal and illegal prostitution, child prostitution and trafficking in persons for sexual purposes.