DONEGAL BROTHEL:A solicitor has told a court the law must be changed to stop people being trafficked into prostitution across Ireland. Patsy Gallagher was speaking at a special sitting of Glenties District Court in Co Donegal, where two people appeared on prostitution charges.
Gardaí raided a brothel at a terraced house in Letterkenny on Monday night, and were answered at the door by a man wearing women’s underwear and a blonde wig, the court heard.
Two foreign nationals, a woman from Spain and a man from Brazil, appeared in court.
Gardaí described how they found José Filho (44) dressed in women’s underwear and wearing a wig. He had just had sex with a male client, who was also still on the premises.
Mr Gallagher told the court that both Brazilian Mr Filho and Spanish woman Flor Yeni Montano Hurtado (42) had been trafficked into prostitution by brothel owners in Dublin. Mr Filho arrived in Ireland in August, and Ms Hurtado in September.
Both pleaded guilty to prostitution charges. Mr Filho was HIV-positive, the court heard.
“I respectfully submit that the law has to be changed or otherwise the human rights of people like this are going to be violated over and over again. Currently under the law no one observed by gardaí on these premises over a period of time has committed an offence and the law has to be changed to make an offence,” said Mr Gallagher.
He said these were the latest “poor people from all over the world [who] arrive in Dublin looking to better themselves and end up being forced into prostitution”.
Mr Gallagher said Ms Hurtado, who had suffered from the effects of a stroke, had a return ticket to Spain and planned to leave this Sunday. Mr Filho had a ticket to return to Brazil for November 27th.
Judge Paul Kelly released them both having signed a bond to keep the peace.