The Northern Ireland police force has withdrawn its opposition to proposals to criminalise men who pay for sex -- but stopped short of backing the plans, as they could deter people in the sex industry from giving information to the police. The new law
being proposed for Northern Ireland is based on repressive Swedish legislation. Senior officers have also pointed out that most convictions in Sweden are achieved through phone tapping and surveillance of suspects -- which would not be allowed in
Northern Ireland. Giving evidence at a justice committee meeting yesterday, Assistant Chief Constable Drew Harris said: We don't oppose it... if the Assembly passes this legislation, we will use it to the best
effect we can.
However, he pointed out that men who paid for sex were already risking ridicule and knew they were taking a risk so it is difficult to assess how much effect the threat of prosecution would have . ACC
Harris and Chief Superintendent Roy McComb, who also gave evidence, pointed out that it was already an offence to have sex with a person who had been trafficked and that ignorance was no defence. Six men have so far been arrested for this offence,
but none of them have been convicted because of a legal time limit on how long police have to bring charges. That limitation is now being removed and police are hopeful it will help secure future convictions. | 
