The purchase of sexual services contributes greatly to the enrichment of hardened criminals, especially in full kick-off of the festival season during the Grand Prix, recall participants.
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“A customer who decides to buy sex, he supports pimps. He makes himself an accomplice of other criminals, who, in addition to destroying the lives of girls and women, have a truly harmful impact on society,” argues Jennie-Laure Sully, community organizer at the Concertation des fights contre l’exploitation sex (KEYS).
Jennie-Laure Sully, community organizer at the Concertation of the struggles against sexual exploitation (CLES), in an interview with Le Journal, Saturday.
MARIO BEAUREGARD/QMI AGENCY
Once again this year, various organizations gathered in downtown Montreal to raise public awareness, right in the middle of the Grand Prix.
Stickers and information leaflets were distributed to passers-by to draw their attention to the issue.
“We know that the Grand Prix is like the kickoff of the festival season, there are a lot of men who come to Montreal […] They don’t know the law. They don’t know that [l’achat de services sexuels] it’s a criminal act, so it’s important to get the message across,” says Jennie-Laure Sully.
In the majority of cases, the people making the most money from prostitution are the exploiters, remind the workers consulted by The newspaper.
Various organizations, including the CLES, met at Dorchester Park on Saturday, on the sidelines of the Grand Prix.
MARIO BEAUREGARD/QMI AGENCY
By the band
Sexual exploitation also opens the door to other criminal offences, adds Paul Laurier, a former police officer with the Sûreté du Québec.
“Girls who do it voluntarily [offrir des services sexuels]it’s not the majority,” he said.
Thus, they “will consume [de la drogue]are going to have it consumed”, mentions the one who submitted a brief to the Special Commission on the sexual exploitation of minors.
The traditional “Open Day” attracted thousands of fans to the Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve.
Martin Chevalier / JdeM
He adds that such a weekend also promotes human trafficking, for those who are illegally in the country, for example.
All in all, both the public and the authorities are looking away, deplores the founder of the cyberinvestigation company, Vigiteck.
“It’s a bit like pollution, we’re all against climate change, but we all consume, we all order on Amazon. We do the opposite of what we say”, illustrates the expert.
Paul Laurier, former Sûreté du Québec policeman, president of Vigiteck. It identifies advertisements for sexual services on the sites. (Photo taken in 2019)
Valérie Gonthier / JdeM
Social cost
The stakeholders consulted by The newspaper all abound in the same direction: the horrors suffered by these women will ultimately be felt even in the health care system.
“The money that[une femme] will have to spend in the health system, for mental and physical health problems, it is a social cost which is still significant, ”says Jennie-Laure Sully.
“It is difficult for these women to move forward in their lives, to develop their autonomy, to have personal and professional projects. There are several who suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder,” adds Suzanne, a survivor who is now involved with CLES.
She prefers to conceal her real identity since she has turned the page on this part of life.
In Canada, offering sexual services is not illegal, but buying and using them is. It is considered to be prostitution when there is payment in money, or even in drugs.