Sex-trade recruiters hit suburbs
Girls invited to 'work' at parties
Times Colonist
Published: Friday, November 03, 2006

VICTORIA -- Young women are being lured into the sex trade at parties held in Victoria's western suburbs, says a new report on violence against sexually-exploited youth and sex-trade workers in B.C.

The report, written by three researchers from the Justice Institute of B.C., was released yesterday.

The 78-page report looks at five communities and reveals a rural and small-town sex trade with a common thread of violence against sex-trade workers, whether at parties, in the bush or on the streets.

In Greater Victoria, a major concern is youth moving to outlying areas, such as the western suburbs, and falling off the radar screen.

"Service providers talked about young girls who get to be known in the party circuit and get invited to 'work' at parties throughout the western communities, where they face violence and abuse on a regular basis," the report says.

"Key informants reported one specific case in which a group of men have been exploiting girls for more than 10 years out of the same location in the western communities. The police have tried to intervene, but have been unable to put a stop to it."

In Victoria, the report points to increased swarmings, particularly against young women, racially-motivated violence, including gangs from minority communities, and increased violence against sex-trade workers when a large number of sailors are in town.

© The Vancouver Province 2006