Given the recent events, the murder of 5 women, is it not high time that something was done to protect these women?

Its a touchy subject for some but such women are not going to vanish, they have been around in one guise or another since the year dot.

Should brothels be legalised?

Should those with drug habits be given free drugs? I do not think this would work and that more effort should be put into getting ALL people off drugs. Seems if one is a footballer or a celebrity there are clinics that do work so why not use them for others?

In any event I think more should be done to protect women who for what ever reason turn to prostitution to make money.

I agree! There should be legalised brothels where women are protected, have health checks and pay tax!

It might stop some of the kerb crawling as well.

I don't agree with anybody with a drug habit to be given free drugs. It's condoning it somehow. I think that they should be given all the help they need, if they ask for it.

The trouble is once the drugs have got hold of someone, it takes over their life, their personality, their conscience - everything. You have young women from average homes, who would never under any other circumstances be frced to sell their bodies to keep them in drugs - they can't just stop taking them - they don't think they can ever get off them...and public opinion stigmatises them as losers.

The treatment for getting off drugs is also addictive - methadone is twice or more as addictive as heroin. It is on prescription but it rots their teeth and weakens their bones, they are skinny, unhealthy skins and bodies.

If there was not a demand for it, there wouldn't be prostitution but far better for them to be in a house where their health could be monitored than out in the streets as prey for any evil murderer who takes away any hope of ever recovering from a drug addiction.

My answer is, prosecute the drug barons who get the stuff into the country and who recruit people who are already well into a drug addiction to sell to others - jail them for life - take away their fat bank accounts. We will always have prostitutes as long as we have men to use them, but we can stop some women going into what is, the oldest profession.

Prostitution is legal here and despite the odd complaint regarding residential zoning, it seems to work well. I've never had many thoughts against prostitution. To me, it seems there is little difference in the selling of physical attributes of a prostitute to those of selling those of a footballer. Unfortunately the word 'prostitute' has bad connotations evn when unrelated to sex. They didn't seem so when referred to as 'call girls'.

I agree with everything you say, Rowan.

As far as free drugs are concerned, just where do you draw the line ? Do you give young children free drugs - because as sure as anything the evil monsters will trap and are trapping young children into drug use and we know just what payment they will be demanding for the drugs in this age of paedophilia.

I agree with everything you all said. Crazy that these women have no protection and it really incenses me that the women are prosecuted, as criminals - by men - but never the 'clients' are never prosecuted. The trade has been around since time immoral and licenced brothels are accepted and tolerated in many countries.

What I can also never understand is men who pick up prostitutes in the street, knowing that they are drug users and likely to be infected with all sorts. Then they go home, to their wives and children ????!!!!!!

Anya wrote: The trade has been around since time immoral and licenced brothels are accepted and tolerated in many countries.

Nice typo Anya!

'tweren't a typor Ciderman

The full expression is - since time immoral, as well as immemorial -

According to one of our revered politicians prostitution is not illegal but soliciting is - can't really see what that's got to do with the price of fish can you?
Doesn't give any suggestion of help.

I think solicitors should be illegal. The oldest profession of all, apart from selling and estate agencing.

Yeah and they can stuff more than one person at once!!
Whoops - sorry folks