Police are concerned local sex workers are being forced to pay a "tax" to gang members, a practice which a Napier brothel owner says is "nothing new". Detective Jeff Foley said police were investigating two incidents in which sex workers were allegedly assaulted and threatened by a gang member who demanded they pay him money to "be in business". The man allegedly told the sex workers he was in the Black Power gang and they had to pay the gang money if they wanted to keep working.
In relation to one of the incidents, a year-old Napier man is facing charges of inducing an indecent act and assaulting a female after he allegedly attacked a Napier sex worker last week. He was remanded to reappear in the Napier District Court on July We are also very concerned about the levels of violence these gang members are using against the sex workers.
Napier brothel owner Kathy Woods, who has worked in the sex industry for 30 years, said prostitutes working for gang members was "nothing new". Any private escort should be registered," Ms Woods said. But New Zealand Prostitutes Collective NZPC national co-ordinator and sex workers' rights activist Catherine Healy said reports of gang members trying to extort sex workers were uncommon.
A sex worker spoken to by Hawke's Bay Today, who wished to remain anonymous, said she had not been approached by gang members and was not aware of it happening to others. Mr Foley said some sex workers may be reluctant to speak to police, but there were other options available to them such as the NZPC.
Any forms of violence are unacceptable, especially when people are being pressured or threatened. Hawke's Bay Today.
