Sex workers group excluded from Holyrood legislation meeting
A proposal to make paying for sex an offence in Scotland is being discussed by MSPs.
Sex workers have complained they are being excluded from a Holyrood meeting to discuss legal moves to criminalise clients.
SCOT-PEP, which promotes sex workers' rights, say it has been barred from today's meeting despite having been previously invited to give input into the debate.
The charity opposes a proposal by Labour's Rhoda Grant to make it an offence to pay for sex, which the MSP says will reduce the demand for prostitution.
Laws already apply in Scotland to soliciting and loitering, such as kerb crawling.
An attempt to fast-track The Purchase of Sex Bill was rejected at Holyrood in 2012 and it was put to consultation.
Ms Grant said the planned meeting is for those who support the principles of the proposed legislation and she is happy to meet the group for a separate discussion.
According to SCOT-PEP, criminalising clients hampers sex workers' ability to screen clients for their own safety.
Clients who are jumpy and nervous of arrest are less willing to give sex workers information about themselves, it claims.
The group said that the introduction of similar legislation in Sweden has been associated with "significant additional levels of violence" against sex workers.
It fears the proposed Bill will have a better chance of succeeding without the input of the late Margo MacDonald MSP, who campaigned for sex workers' rights.
SCOT-PEP board member Neil McCulloch said: "Disastrous as this legislation would prove in Scotland, going by the international evidence, we nevertheless sought to play a constructive role in discussions and we are shocked to have been excluded entirely.
"Would you have a meeting to discuss whether to legislate supposedly to help any other marginalised group and yet explicitly bar them and their representatives from the discussion?
"It can't be right for a politician to try to work in this way without even wanting to hear the voices of the people most directly affected."
A sex worker called Cat said: "It's outrageous to hold a meeting to discuss sex work and to specifically exclude sex workers and sex worker-led organisations."
Ms Grant said: "The planned meeting is for those who support the principles of criminalising the purchase of sex and as SCOT-PEP have publicly stated their opposition to this, their inclusion wouldn't be appropriate at this time.
"Those attending believe that commercial sexual exploitation, including prostitution, is a form of violence against women and take the standpoint that people exploited in prostitution should not be criminalised whilst purchasers of sex are not held to account.
"As discussions evolve, those participating will discuss potential plans and strategies which will be shared publicly when finalised.
"I have always been happy to discuss my position on this issue with SCOT-PEP and would be happy to meet with them separately to discuss views."