Met pilots street sex worker outreach team after Levy case failings

Why This Matters

• The Levy case showed how failures in policing left a convicted sex offender able to attack women who were sometimes engaged in street sex work.
• Whether the pilot succeeds may determine how willing vulnerable women are to report serious crimes against them.
• The outcome could influence whether the Met shifts from criminalising street sex workers to prioritising their protection.

Background

In England and Wales, the law draws a sharp line around sex work. Selling sex is legal in most of the UK, but street soliciting, working together, brothel keeping, pimping and advertising sexual services are all illegal. Street sex workers are also frequently targeted with anti-social behaviour powers. That legal mix means women who need police protection can fear being arrested themselves, a tension the Levy case threw into sharp relief. The Met's response has been to pilot an outreach team in north London.

Key Perspectives

Met officers running the pilot: The force should move away from criminalising street sex workers and instead build the trust needed for them to report violence. Street sex workers: Many fear arrest and do not trust officers to investigate offences against them, leaving crimes unreported. Critics/Skeptics: The law has not changed. Street soliciting and related activities remain illegal, and anti-social behaviour powers are still available to officers, so a two-officer pilot in one area may be limited in what it can achieve.

What to Watch

• Whether reports of crime from street sex workers rise as the pilot builds trust.
• Whether the Met extends the team beyond north London.
• Whether the Levy case prompts any broader change to how the force and the law treat street sex work.