Dear Editor,
I read with some concern your article entitled “Prostitution rife in the Algarve” (Algarve Resident, April 30 edition).
As a resident with more than 35 years national and international policing experience, I was particularly concerned by the comments of a GNR spokesman who, when referring to prostitution, reportedly said: “People get annoyed and report the situation to us about the EN125 road, but there is nothing we can do”.
Whilst authorities must act within the law, this lack of action by them coupled by the demand for prostitution, is exactly why prostitution is rife and has become so blatant in the Algarve
If action is not taken, the community will see more prostitutes in the future and the problem will increase. The type of prostitution that the Algarve is seeing at present is a problem for four reasons.
Image – I share the concern of many residents and your readers that blatant prostitution is affecting the image of the area. If anyone thinks this is not the case, then simply go to Trip Advisor on the internet and you will see how prostitution is already damaging some of the Algarve’s tourist areas.
Criminality – Although prostitution is not in itself illegal in Portugal, there is widespread criminality attached to this activity. This includes not only those who promote prostitution (as reported in your article), but of more concern is those criminal gangs which illegally traffic in women who then become prostitutes. The fact that many do not carry any form of identification is simply because this has been taken from them and held by the gangs concerned to prevent them escaping.
HIV/AIDS – There is clear evidence that in countries which have a high level of prostitution there is also a high level of HIV/AIDS. I noted from your article the involvement of the various agencies in providing support to prostitutes. This will certainly help in limiting the spread of HIV/AIDS, but could provide a signal to some prostitutes that their activities are tolerated or even supported.
Prostitutes – Victims of Crime. In most communities where street prostitution is rife, prostitutes have become victims of crime. Where they are here illegally and have no papers, such crimes will probably never be reported and therefore remain unknown. Street prostitutes are now not only operating in well lit streets in the Algarve at night, but also in dark lanes in rural areas; for instance to the north of Villa Sol to name but one. Sooner or later they will become a victim of a serious crime if this has not already occurred.
So what can be done? Well a great deal more than what the GNR spokesman indicated in your article. Firstly there clearly needs to be an anti-prostitution strategy and coordinated action by the civil government in the Algarve, bringing together the various government and non- government agencies to deal with the problem. This should examine issues such as education, prevention and law enforcement.
Secondly as far as law enforcement is concerned, the authorities need to think “outside of the box”. If you or I were to run a business selling goods along the EN125 then very quickly we would be arrested by the fiscal authorities for not having the documentation in place etc, etc. So why when prostitutes operate are they allowed to earn money without any identification, documentation or compliance with the law? The possible use of fiscal legislation to control this activity should be examined.
Thirdly, acting within the law, the police should aim to disrupt the activities by removing those with no identification to police stations where they should be held until dealt with by the immigration authorities.
Fourthly, the police working with the counterparts outside of the country should maximize efforts through the gathering of information and development of intelligence to neutralize the gangs responsible.
Lastly the civil government should send a clear and unambiguous message that prostitution of the type the Algarve has experienced in the last year will not be tolerated and effective action will be taken accordingly. There is a great deal at stake.
David Thomas
Policing and Security Consultant,
Boliqueime
