Stalking and harassment of sex workers in Leitrim

The Sex Workers Alliance Ireland (SWAI) has expressed strong condemnation of a group in Leitrim, called Escort Ireland Watch, which has been targeting sex workers through what SWAI describes as surveillance and harassment. Escort Ireland Watch claims they are raising awareness about sex work and potential exploitation, but SWAI views their actions as dangerous and damaging to the safety of workers.

Linda Kavanagh, a spokesperson for SWAI, strongly criticized the group’s tactics, arguing that their surveillance amounts to harassment, not awareness-raising. “Surveillance of women going to their place of work by an anonymous group is harassment,” Kavanagh said, insisting that Escort Ireland Watch has no evidence of exploitation or trafficking in the cases they are focusing on. Instead, Kavanagh claims their behavior is more like stalking, creating fear among workers rather than providing protection.

Kavanagh also highlighted the challenges posed by Ireland’s broad brothel-keeping laws, which can criminalize sex workers who are merely sharing a space for safety or to reduce costs. She argued that these laws, combined with the actions of groups like Escort Ireland Watch, make sex workers more vulnerable to threats such as blackmail and hamper legitimate Gardaí investigations into trafficking and exploitation.

According to Kavanagh, these kinds of harassment are not new. She pointed to a phishing scam earlier in the year that targeted migrant sex workers, escalating to severe threats of violence and murder. She also referenced the tragic murder of sex worker Geila Ibram in Limerick in April 2023 as an example of the very real dangers faced by workers, warning that groups like Escort Ireland Watch are adding to the risks by perpetuating a culture of fear.

Escort Ireland Watch, on the other hand, has portrayed their actions as efforts to combat exploitation and trafficking, claiming that their goal is to raise public awareness of the issue. Despite these claims, Kavanagh has maintained that their actions are harmful and lack any clear evidence of trafficking in the situations they monitor.

An Garda Síochána has acknowledged that they are aware of detailed correspondence being circulated by Escort Ireland Watch, involving reports on the sale of sexual services at various locations across the country. "The manner in which such groups operate is a cause of concern for An Garda Síochána," the force noted, sharing SWAI’s apprehension about the group's methods.