Madam, - Anna Lo MLA estimates that there may well be up to 70 brothels in Northern Ireland (The Irish Times, February 5th). These are shocking figures and we must ensure that all measures are taken to combat this heinous industry, which abuses women and children and makes their gangmasters thousands of pounds.
However, as well as catching perpetrators, the Government needs to protect these women and children.
At the moment the victims have no guaranteed protection in Northern Ireland. The law treats them as illegal immigrants and people here would be appalled to know that many of them are just deported. They are then at serious risk of being trafficked again.
The UK government must ratify the European Convention Against Trafficking, which guarantees emergency housing and medical care for victims and gives them a month to recover from the trauma and make some decisions about what they need to do next. Victims of trafficking have had all of their basic human rights violated. We must transform the system so that they are recognised as the victims, and not the perpetrators, of crime. - Yours, etc,
PATRICIA CAMPBELL, Amnesty International, Belfast.