MEDIA RELEASE
27 APRIL 2006

Ban the disgraceful home-based Brothels - urgently!

The Family First Lobby applauds Anna, Mavis and other concerned residents of Bushlands Park Drive on the North Shore in Auckland for their proactive work to get rid of the disgraceful home-based brothel in their residential street.

The Family First Lobby also repeats it call for politicians from all parties to introduce legislation to support Bylaws from Councils which ban brothels by schools, churches and homes.

Christchurch, Auckland, North Shore and other areas are having these bylaws, which were backed by overwhelming support from ratepayers, being challenged by brothel owners and subsequently overturned by the courts. This means that small owner operated brothels (SOOB’s) with up to 4 sex workers can set up or remain next door to a family home or a school.

“The politicians should never have voted for a law that allows this situation to happen,” says Bob McCoskrie, National Director of the Family First Lobby. “The law was fundamentally flawed as we can see from the deaths in Christchurch of prostitutes, and the increasing number of teenage prostitutes.”

“But to allow brothels next to a family home or school entrance is just as disgraceful. We already have accounts of home brothels where men willing to pay for sex are knocking on nearby homes trying to find the brothel. As a man and as a father, I would not want my children answering that door! We must not put our children and families at risk. There is also the association of brothels and prostitutes with drugs and alcohol – totally unwanted in a family area.”

“This law has failed prostitutes by encouraging them to think that prostitution can be safe – which it can never be.”

“But now the law is also failing our communities. We must change it before it is too late and our children become victims also, similar to our teenagers.”

ENDS

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