Criminal Exploitation of Women and Children and the Important Role of Community Policing

Abstract

Australia, like all other responsible countries, considers the sexual exploitation of women and children an abhorrent criminal act and accordingly regards this activity as a priority public policy issue. Consistent with the UN protocols, Australia has committed considerable resources to the pursuit of offenders and has in place severe penalties. Relentless pursuit of offenders is critical but this paper draws attention to the emphasis the UN has placed on identifying the women and children as ‘victims’ and the consequent need to provide them with the rights, privileges, and due sensitivities that we afford victims of other crimes. The context in which policing takes place has, arguably, changed since ‘September 11.’ Some police services have tended to move away from community policing and return to the traditional model of policing. For the prevention and detection of crimes like sexual exploitation this is seen as a counter‐productive move. Traditional policing distances police from the rest of the community—while it is difficult for police to gain mutual respect and trust with the community for conventional crimes, the unique nature of sexual exploitation places additional challenges on police which are best met by maintaining community policing, its fine ethical principles and its practical resolve.

Keywords:

• Trafficking
• Prostitution
• Sexual Exploitation
• Australia
• Community Policing

Additional information

Notes on contributors

John Murray

John Murray is an educator and consultant in justice‐related issues. As a career police officer he was Assistant Commissioner with the South Australia Police and Deputy Commissioner with the Australian Federal Police. In 1997 he took up a three‐year appointment as Associate Professor and Head of Australian Graduate School of Police Management, Charles Sturt University, Manly, New South Wales.