DPP to test laws in sex slavery case
Natalie O’Brien & Elisabeth Wynhausen; 15/5/08
The Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions will pay the legal costs of a High Court appeal for a former brothel owner who was jailed for sexual slavery offences but later had her conviction quashed. In an unusual move, the DPP has promised the High Court to pay the legal bill, which could reach $25,000, so they can appeal the quashing of Wei Tang’s conviction. They are funding the appeal because it is seen as critical to test the nation’s slavery laws and clarify legal issues which have arisen in the prosecution of Ms Tang.
See: http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,23700912-2702,00.html
A question of bondage
Anne Gallagher; 15/5/08
This week in Canberra, the High Court is considering what it means to be a slave in Australia in the 21st century. While the legal questions before the court are highly technical, the real issue is much more straightforward: under what circumstances will Australian law allow us to say that one person is effectively “owning” or enslaving another? A portion of Australia’s sex industry is made up of “contract girls”: individuals brought over here from Thailand, Korea, China and other countries to meet Australia’s growing demand for commercial and “exotic” sex. Some are under no illusion about the work they are going to do. Others imagine — or are tricked into believing — that they will be employed as waiters, cleaners or bartenders.
See; http://www.theage.com.au/news/opinion/a-question-of-bondage/2008/05/14/1210444528872.html
Tags: Australia, Migrants & Refugees, Sex Trade, Workers