RCN nurses demand prostitution be decriminalised

A dynamic slogan designed to grab attention "Be bold. Be daring. Be caring and support decriminalisation," has been used in an attempt by the Royal College of Nursing in the UK, to call on the government to decriminalise prostitution in order to protect the health of vulnerable women and men who feel unable to access NHS and social services.

The plea was made in an impassioned debate yesterday at the RCN's annual congress in Harrogate which led to a majority vote of more than four to one for a change in the criminal law. Andrea Spyropoulos, a Liverpool nurse, who proposed the motion, says the resolution was not about the moral issues of prostitution and does not mean nurses condoned sex trafficking, grooming or coercion of vulnerable people and encouraged delegates to be "Be bold. Be daring. Be caring and support decriminalisation".

The original motion had called for the legalisation of prostitution but this was amended after delegates objected to anything that might be thought to legitimise intimidation by pimps. London nurse Princess Morufu thought that legalisation of a dangerous activity was not the answer and more effort should go into preventing people getting into prostitution and alleviating the circumstances that force women into it.

Many prostitutes enter the profession while under 18 because they are vulnerable and almost all have a history of drug abuse.

RCN deputy president Maura Buchanan, said it was time to stop making criminals out of prostitutes and instead target the men who abuse them.

Prostitutes suffered from poor health, including sexually transmitted infections, ulcers, poor dentistry and lack of social care for their children as well as themselves, said Steve Jamieson, coordinator of professional nursing, for the RCN, and says they will engage with other organisations to ensure these women and men feel they can come forward to access better care.

Liverpool council's proposal to create a managed zone for prostitutes in an effort to reduce curb crawling is waiting for a response from the government.

The Scottish executive has started a review of the legal, policing, health and social issues raised by prostitution in Scotland.

Delegates voted by 355 votes to 83 in favour of decriminalisation, with 21 abstentions.

Union officials said they would begin urgent consultations with police, local authorities and voluntary bodies about how best to halt prosecutions for soliciting, advertising or running a brothel.