‘Stalking and harassment’ of sex workers in Longford criticised

The Sex Workers Alliance Ireland (SWAI) has wholeheartedly condemned the actions of a group targeting sex workers in Longford.

The Longford Leader carried out its own enquiries into how ringleaders in the sex workers industry and landlords are negotiating deals on a Longford town WhatsApp group chat to use rental properties as brothels.

However, information from a group called Escort Ireland Watch was sent to media outlets and public representatives in Longford, Kerry, Galway, Carlow and Leitrim in recent weeks.

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Linda Kavanagh, spokesperson for SWAI described how it contained photos of sex workers and they stressed the campaign is opening sex workers up to blackmail.

“Need we remind people that sex work is supposed to be decriminalised in Ireland? Surveillance of women going to a place of work by an anonymous group is harassment," she said. “The reports show no evidence that exploitation is occurring."

Ms Kavanagh said self-appointed monitors of migrant women are 'dangerous'.

"Ask yourself, would you be comfortable with someone sending your image from social media and photos of where you work to strangers? This is stalking behaviour.”

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Ms Kavanagh stated brothel-keeping laws are written so broadly that these sex workers could be merely sharing a space to keep costs down and to ensure their safety.

"These actions can jeopardise real Gardaí investigations and open people up to blackmail. Nothing this group is doing addresses trafficking or exploitation," she said. "This behaviour by a vigilante group is a continuation of the harassment sex workers have faced in Ireland in recent years."