Sex workers’ profession no longer affects sentences

Issue 

The Victorian Sentencing Manual, which acts as a guide to sentencing in all Victorian jurisdictions, now says a sex worker’s profession should have no impact on the sentencing of sex offenders who target them. The manual previously suggested that sex workers were less vulnerable in cases of sexual assault than other victims due to the nature of their work.

However, after submissions by Vixen Collective and the St Kilda Legal Service, the manual now identifies sex workers as being particularly vulnerable and says their profession should have no effect on the sentence of a sex offender.

“Their work involves them being in close physical proximity to people, placing themselves in positions that can be susceptible to attack,” the manual now says. “An offender’s abuse of this vulnerability should be considered an aggravating feature for sentencing.”

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