Australian slaves in the sex industry | Sex industry and Australian slaves

Legal brothels sex slavery links The age Nick McKenzie and Maris Beck October 10, 2011 LEGAL brothels in Victoria and New South Wales are operating unchecked despite police investigations implicating them in human trafficking, sex slavery and organised crime. Two Australian Federal Police investigations Operations Elixation and Raspberry have identified at least three Melbourne brothels and two in Sydney linked to an international sex slavery ring. The syndicate allegedly convinces Asian women to fly to Australia for study, and then forces them to work as sex slaves in Sydney and Melbourne.

Candy Club manager Lin Gao faces accusations.

A syndicate member, De Jun Zheng, was also involved in the 2009 killing of Melbourne man Abraham Papo, 27, outside a brothel linked to sex trafficking. Evidence suggests that Mr Papo was killed after he tried to help a Korean prostitute he thought was being harmed or held against her will by the syndicate in Sydney. Mr Papos parents, Deanna and Marco, have called on state and federal authorities to do more to crack down on brothels linked to sex trafficking. The state authorities responsible for approving legal brothels have taken no action despite court documents in August detailing federal police allegations that the brothels or their managers were involved in organised crime.

The rear of the Candy Club. Photo: Mal Fairclough After a joint investigation by The Age and the ABCs Four Corners, it can be revealed that the brothels targeted by the police operations include the Candy Club in Richmond, which is licensed by the Victorian government, and the Five Star in Woolloomooloo, Sydney, which operates with local council approval. In addition to the legal parlours identified in AFP operations, several other legal brothels with alleged links to organised crime are operating unchecked. They include: Inner-city Sydney brothel Nadira, which specialises in Korean prostitutes and is closely linked to the Comancheros outlaw motorcycle club and senior Asian organised crime figures. Regarding House, a brothel in the Melbourne suburb of Heidelberg, where a sex slave allegedly worked in 2009 and which operates from premises whose owner is linked to a Chinese crime syndicate that runs dozens of illegal brothels. 39 Tope Street in South Melbourne, from which authorities removed two women in late 2008 due to sex slavery allegations which were later denied by the licensee. Senior police sources said the links between organised crime or sex trafficking syndicates and legal brothels highlight a need for stronger regulation, better information sharing between police and regulators including across state borders and a possible need for uniform prostitution laws across Australia. An AFP spokesman told The Age that the agency continually explores ways to increase the sharing of information and

collaboration in the illegal sex industry. Since 2003, the AFPs human trafficking teams have undertaken more than 300 investigations and assessments of trafficking allegations, and identified 181 victims, including 147 women forced to work as sex slaves.

Senior state police sources in Victoria and NSW acknowledge that the policing of organised crime in the legal brothel sector is patchy and that the regulation of brothels in both states is often woeful. Operation Raspberry has gathered testimony from two witnesses who allege that the licensed manager of Richmonds Candy Club, Lin Gao, is part of a syndicate that in 2009 forced two women to work as sex slaves at two other Melbourne brothels, Woolloomooloo brothel Five Star and a second Sydney brothel, which is now under new ownership. In witness statements tendered in August to a Melbourne court, two Chinese women alleged they were forced to engage in unsafe sex practices in these legal brothels and work up to seven days a week, servicing dozens of men. Every dollar they earned was allegedly returned to the syndicate that sent them from Asia to Australia. I did not know how much money I made or how much money I had paid off my debt. My mind was blank. I was just counting down the days, one of the witness statements alleges. The statements identify Ms Gao as an alleged big shareholder and decision maker connected to the trafficking syndicates Australian operations, although she told The Age through a lawyer that she is not involved in any impropriety.

The AFP court documents contain a large amount of information implicating Ms Gao and several of her Sydney and Melbourne associates in sex trafficking or other crimes, but only one syndicate member has so far been charged. At least three of these associates are still involved in running legal brothels in Sydney or Melbourne. One of the few brothels in Victoria against which regulators are attempting to take disciplinary action is Club 234 in Richmond, which remains open. According to court documents, the brothel operates in premises owned by Boris Kogan, who has substantial links to Russian organised crime. The licensee of Club 234, Anthony Fletcher, has denied impropriety and is fighting the claims he breached a licence condition by failing to stop Mr Kogan being involved in the brothel business. An 2010 affidavit from Victorias Business Licensing Authority and tendered to VCAT states: The said police information report [from 2004] states that Boris had purchased the brothel at 234 Coppin street Richmond and he specialises in introducing Russian prostitutes into brothels. The report further states that Boris had paid $600,000 for the premises and is now looking for a licence holder to front the brothel for him. Consumer Affairs Victoria told The Age that if it obtained solid, court-admissible evidence of brothel licensees or approved managers participating in serious or organised criminal activities it may apply to a court to determine if there are grounds for taking action against licensees. With TOM REILLY, ANNE DAVIE Source: http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/legal-brothels-sex-slavery-links-201110091lfy0.html

Legal brothels linked to international sex trafficking rings SMH Nick McKenzie, Maris Beck, Tom Reilly, Anne Davies October 10, 2011 Flesh Trade The brothels of Melbourne. Reporter Nick McKenzie highlights some of the brothels implicated in sex trafficking across Melbourne. LEGAL brothels in NSW and Victoria are operating unchecked despite police investigations implicating them in human trafficking, sex slavery and organised crime. Two federal police investigations, Operations Elixation and Raspberry, have identified at least two Sydney brothels and three Melbourne ones linked to an international human trafficking and sex slavery ring. The syndicate allegedly convinces Asian women to come to Australia to study. They are then forced to work as sex slaves in brothels. But the state and local authorities responsible for approving legal brothels have taken no action, despite court documents in August detailing federal police allegations of the brothels or their managers involvement in organised crime. A joint investigation by the Herald and the ABC program Four Corners can reveal that the brothels include the Five Star in Woolloomooloo, which was approved by the City of Sydney, and the Candy Club in Melbourne, licensed by the Victorian government. A syndicate member, De Jun Zheng, was also involved in the killing in 2009 of a Melbourne man, Abraham Papo, outside a brothel linked to sex trafficking.

Evidence suggests Papo was killed trying to help a Korean prostitute he thought was being harmed or held against her will by the syndicate in Sydney. Papos parents, Deanna and Marco, are calling on state and federal authorities to crack down on brothels linked to sex trafficking. In addition to the legal parlours identified in federal police operations, the Herald can reveal other legal brothels operating unchecked despite alleged links to organised crime. They are: Nadira in inner-city Sydney, which specialises in Korean prostitutes. It is closely linked to the Comanchero outlaw motorcycle club and senior Asian organised crime figures; Regarding House, in Heidelberg, Melbourne, where a sex slave allegedly worked in 2009. The owner of the premises is linked to a Chinese syndicate that runs illegal brothels; 39 Tope Street in South Melbourne, from which authorities removed two women in late 2008 due to sex slavery allegations which the licensee later denied; Senior police sources said the links between organised crime or sex trafficking syndicates and legal brothels highlighted the need for stronger state regulation, better information-sharing between police and regulators including across state borders and discussion of the need for uniform prostitution laws in Australia. An federal police spokesman told the Herald the agency continually explores ways to increase the sharing of information and collaboration in the illegal sex industry.

Since 2003, the federal polices human trafficking teams have undertaken more than 308 investigations and assessments of trafficking allegations, identifying 181 victims, including 147 women forced to work as sex slaves. Senior state police sources in NSW and Victoria acknowledge that the policing of organised crime in the legal brothel sector is patchy and the regulation of brothels in both states often woeful.Operation Raspberry has gathered testimony from two witnesses who allege that Lin Gao, the licensed manager of Candy Club, is part of a syndicate which in 2009 forced two women to work as sex slaves at Five Star in Woolloomooloo and at a second Sydney brothel, which is under new ownership, and at two other Melbourne brothels. In witness statements to a Melbourne court hearing in August, two Chinese women alleged they were forced to engage in unsafe sex practices in these legal brothels and work up to seven days a week, servicing dozens of men. Every dollar they earned was allegedly returned to the syndicate that sent them from Asia to Australia.

I did not know how much money I made or how much money I had paid off my debt. My mind was blank. I was just counting down the days, one alleges. The statements identify Ms Gao as an alleged big shareholder and decision-maker connected to the trafficking syndicates Australian operations, although she told the Herald through a lawyer that she was not involved in any impropriety. The federal police court documents contain a large amount of information implicating Ms Gao and several of her Sydney and Melbourne associates in sex trafficking or other crimes, but only one syndicate member has been charged. At least three of these associates are still involved in running legal brothels in Sydney or Melbourne. In NSW brothels are regulated by local councils under planning laws. The City of Sydneys acting manager of the safe cities unit, Rebecca Martin, said issues of organised crime were beyond the scope of council officers, whose role was only to ensure brothels complied with their development consents. If we have any concerns about the treatment of sex workers, or illegal activity or immigration issues, we refer them to the NSW Police, she said. We work closely with the local area command. Source: http://www.smh.com.au/national/legal-brothels-linked-to-international-sextrafficking-rings-20111009-1lfxs.html Brothels face unsafe sex ban The Canberra times EAMONN DUFF 09 Oct, 2011 THE NSW government is seeking advice on banning unprotected sex in Sydney brothels, a move campaigners say is long overdue to protect the safety of the community. Unlike Victoria and Queensland, where brothels face fines, there are no laws governing unsafe services offered in the local sex industry. A spokeswoman for the NSW Health Minister, Jillian Skinner, confirmed a meeting was scheduled with the chief health officer, Dr Kerry Chant, to analyse the systems in place across other states and to study the ways in which they implement such measures. The minister understands the issue is an important one but has questions about how it can be effectively enforced, she said.

Despite the public health implications, hundreds of Sydney sex workers legally offer unprotected sex known in the industry as natural as an exotic drawcard because the only government regulations in place are a series of health and safety guidelines. Former NSW sex industry consultant Chris Seage now runs Brothel Busters, a consultancy which investigates illegal brothels. Its hard enough keeping track of whats going on in the industry these days given the number of illegal brothels and private escorts operating under the radar, he said. And yet when it comes to health and safety, NSW Health continues to offer mere advice about safe sexual practices. Guidelines no longer cut it. The whole system is collapsing.

Lee Cameron, who owns high-end Chatswood brothel La Petite Aroma, which has a strict protected sex policy, said the issue of safety stretched far beyond sex worker and client. Brothel owners have estimated 80 per cent of men who pay for sex have wives or girlfriends. In a letter to Mrs Skinner last month, Ms Cameron wrote: What choice does the unsuspecting partner, wife, girlfriend or husband have? The answer is none. Ms Cameron told Mrs Skinner there was no better example than the case of Sydney taxi driver Hassan Nagi, who was jailed last year for raping three female passengers, between 2003 and 2007. It emerged during his trial that he had tested positive for HIV in 2009. Ms Cameron said Nagi was instantly recognisable to her establishment and others in the industry as a client who would ask all the ladies for natural [sex without a condom]. Pointing to the laws in other states, she said: We need regulations as a matter of extreme urgency. I need to be able to tell customers with conviction that they cant ask for it because its illegal and right now, the law doesnt allow me to do that. Source: http://www.canberratimes.com.au/news/national/national/general/brothels-faceunsafe-sex-ban/2317505.aspx
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