Seven illegal brothels shut down in Boroondara in past financial year
Police have shut down seven illegal brothels across affluent Boroondara in the past year alone, with police urging vulnerable women coerced into the sex trade to seek help.
Inner East
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Young women forced to work at fake massage parlours where sex acts are offered in return for cash are being urged to go to the police.
Seven illegal brothels were shut down by police across Boroondara in the past financial year, with most unlicensed venues operating under the guise of massage parlours or nail salons, Victoria Police communications manager Danielle Blanch said.
Project Respect executive director Rachel Reilly said some women entered the trade willingly, but many others were duped, with young women lured to Melbourne by the promise of legal work only to realise once they arrived they’d been mislead.
Ms Reilly said these women quickly found themselves isolated and vulnerable in a foreign country with no family or friends, and some were forced by their employers to undertake sex work they didn’t want to do.
She said these women were often hesitant to approach the police for fear of prosecution while others were manipulated to work by their employer to fulfil their visa obligations.
“The violence and exploitation is not the same as in the licensed brothels … but it does add a layer of exploitation,” Ms Reilly said.
“A woman may pay to come to Australia for a work opportunity with the knowledge she will work at a massage parlour but not expecting to offer sexual services.”
Ms Blanch said the safety of the women was the top priority for police, and she encouraged anyone who was being coerced into sex work to get help.
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“Our message to patrons and those people working in these facilities is that the safety of people is our absolute priority and we encourage anyone who has or is experiencing harm to come to the police,” she said.
“There are harms coming out of illegal premises in the form of physical and sexual assaults that often go unreported, health risks and potential exploitation of vulnerable people.”
Hundreds of illegal brothels were suspected to be operating across the state, Ms Blanch said, with many located in busy shopping strips or in residential properties in suburban streets.
She said people found entering an illegal brothel without a lawful excuse could face a month in prison for a first offence, while business owners could be hit with a fine of up to $198,000.