Women Speak Tasmania are appalled at the low sentence and recent granting of parole to Tobias Pick for the killing of prostituted woman Jingai Zhang in 2020.
“Not only was the sentence of five years manifestly inadequate but to release Pick after only two and half years sends an appalling message to the community about violence against women, especially vulnerable women such as Jingai Zhang.”
“Jingai Zhang’s death exposes the dangers of the sex trade for women and the inadequacy of the Sex Industry Offences Act 2005.”
“In numerous European countries prostitution has been declared violence to women and new laws enacted to reduce violence and protect women in the sex trade”.
“Elise Archer needs to review the Sex Industry Offences Act with a view to implementing asymmetric decriminalisation, also known as stop demand laws.”
“These laws decriminalise all women in prostitution while criminalising sex buyers and pimps. These laws have been effective in stopping sex trafficking and increase women’s ability to report violence to authorities. The laws also provide for exit strategies including housing, health care and employment”.
“Additionally there urgently needs to be transparency around operations by the Australian Federal Police and Tasmania Police concerning the sex trafficking of women into Tasmania.”
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