A 70 year old woman is facing trial for brothel keeping. She is due to appear at Poole Magistrates Court 25 July. Please see below how you can write to the Crown Prosecution Service and the Home Secretary to protest.

Ms C Norman worked as a cleaner for two days a week at Bunnies Ranch massage parlour.  She was not involved in running the premises and only came to the police attention because she went to the aid of a client who collapsed.

On 19 May 2016 Ms Norman was at work when the client collapsed in the reception room. Everyone else at the premises left because they were scared of being arrested. Ms Norman stayed and called the police and ambulance and then did CPR on the man until the para medics arrived.  Sadly despite their best efforts the man died.  Instead of being praised for trying to save a life Ms Norman was arrested and charged with assisting in the running of a brothel.

Ms Norman lives on a pension. She didn’t hold keys, pay rent, utility bills or advertising, or have anything to do with the running of the premises. Women who worked at the premises are frightened to come to court to give evidence on Ms Norman’s behalf because of fear of prosecution and exposure. The premises is well known to the community police officer and the local working women’s project both of whom could confirm that Ms Norman is not the manager. The police were malicious towards Ms Norman when she was interviewed telling her that they knew she was being set up and claiming not to know who ran the premise, even though the premises are still open!

Ms Norman says  “I tried to save the life of another human being and find myself pilloried for this. I’ve had no support for this trauma and instead am being prosecuted. My case is coming up in just over two weeks and I am distraught at the thought that I will have to go to court to fight this. I’m telling the truth but does that not matter anymore? I’m very grateful for the support from the ECP and from the people who are writing to demand that the prosecution is dropped. “

With the majority of the public believing that sex work should be decriminalised, this prosecution cannot be claimed to be in the “public interest”. It undermines sex worker’s safety — what sex worker in Dorset is going to risk reporting rape or other violence knowing that by bringing themselves to the attention of the police they could be prosecuted.

Please write to the Crown Prosecution Service to demand that the prosecution be dropped and protest to the Home Secretary at the police squandering resources by taking action against Ms Norman.

If thousands of people write to protest we can make our voices heard.

Thank you for your support.

Cari Mitchell

Please write to:

Alison Saunders, Director of Public Prosecutions

Crown Prosecution Service

Rose Court, 2 Southwark Bridge Road

Southwark, London SE1 9HS

Tel: 020 3357 1898

Email: CPSPrivateoffice@cps.gsi.gov.uk   

alisonm.saunders@cps.gsi.gov.uk 

Home Secretary, Amber Rudd MP

House of Commons, London, SW1A 0AA

Tel: 020 7219 7229, Fax: 020 7219 6545

Email: amber.rudd.mp@parliament.uk

Please send a copy to Ms Norman’s MP:

Robert Syms MP

House of Commons, London, SW1A 0AA

Email: symsmp.office@parliament.uk

Sample letter:

Dear

Re Ms C Norman

case number:  55CH0277116

I am writing to ask that the prosecution of Ms Norman for assisting in the management of a brothel be dropped.

Ms Norman was working as a cleaner in the flat and was not involved in managing the premises in any way. She only came to the attention of the police because she tried to save the life of a man who collapsed in the reception room.

[Please say something about why you are writing.]

Prosecuting Ms Norman undermines safety for all sex workers. Sex workers will be deterred from reporting rape and other violence for fear of arrest. Prosecuting Ms Norman is not in the public interest and I ask that you drop the case against her immediately.

Sincerely,