h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

As I write this they have found 2 more bodies in the same area where the other 3 prostitutes were found murderd in last week.
I personally can not see the point in paying for sex, something that is free and would never do so, but clearly some people do.
I had the misfortune to end up living next to a flat that a prostitute was using in an ordinary block of flats. The strange thing is the prostitute seemed not to be a junkie and just an average fairly pretty girl.
I say misfortune due to some of the very unsavoury characters who went there, only a few were ordinary younger men, the rest were quite a lot older and frankly some gave me the creeps. This was what made me contact the police but without giving name as to be honest the idea of giving my name out in a court as the pimp who was there watched did not exactly fill me with joy, anyway, nothing was done so I cantacted managing agent of flats and explained that she was only there from around 9am to around 10pm and a card goes up after a man goes in that said "Gone to shops, be back in 30 minutes." The managing agent went to flat to check and the girl came out wearing the sort of clothing most people don't answer the door in and he asked them to leave, which they did, thank god.
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I have seen the news reports with relatives describing the murderd prostitutes saying some where really nice girls who got caught up in drugs, etc and it seems surprisingly sad, despite my experience with one next door,

I doubt many people set out to become prostitutes, just as there aren't many that set out to become drug addicts.

The press coverage of this story has sickened me: they seem to be talking about prostitutes first and women second. Disgusting.

5 women murdered in the same town within a week is very unusual - Sutcliffe killed more, but he took many years and worked over a much wider area.

I guess police will be looking through their lists of recently-released offenders.

I felt no malice to the prostitute who lived next door, however the men were a differant matter, to be honest some of them revolted me and I was worried that I was getting so annoyed I would end up in a big arguement with one.
Imagine what it was like with the 2 front doors only 3 feet apart and both front doors in a small inner lobby only around 5 feet across and you try to get in your front door and there is some shifty looking character standing infront of you door queing up to go in. That could happen several times a day as there was a constant stream of men. I lead a very quiet life and this was just an ordinary block of flats in a very ordinary residential area. In the end I set up a small security camera as evidence if no one would do anything about it.

Tania Nicol lived two doors from my old bedsit. She used to pop round for a bit of sugar or some Rizlas, was always very friendly and polite. She was a sweet kid, seemed to be doing really well - but that was over a year ago. I dread to think what circumstances led to her working on Portman Road.

My ex-bandmate Antonio's best friend was going out with her. Apparently he had no idea she was a prostitute. I can't imagine what he's going through now, much less these poor girls' parents.

Where I live now looks over Belstead, and on a nice evening a view of the Suffolk countryside no-one should legitimately expect for £250pcm. But now it's that stretch of the A14 between the discoveries of Tania and Anneli. The whole town is in shock.

Why is everyone referring to this as the prostitute murders? All the newspapers and TV say the same thing. Prostitute, prostitute, prostitute. Is it easier to think of them this way instead of as girls or women? Does calling them prostitutes mean you sub-consously think it's their fault?

The victims were all working as prostitutes when they were abducted. It's a simple statement of fact, if they were all community nurses, traffic wardens they'd be described as such.

But I do wish the media would let up a little, it's terrifying enough for women in Ipswich and depressing for everyone without the ladles of coverage it's been getting.

The dicfficulty with labelling them 'the prostitute murders' is that it enables narrow minded bigots like the Daily HateMail to write bilge like they today which effectively reduces these girls to second class citizens who may, therefore be less entitled to justice than if they had been Chritian Virgins with certificates to prove it.

Just as the law regarding victims feelings about crime threaten to turn sentencing into a two tier exercise, the 'categorisation of these girls in such a callous way robs them of individuality and the right to justice.

Lord knows we we should be used to it in the wake of the Soham murders but the press has an agenda in how it reports crime and this is just another example.

That's what I meant. Why are there such double standards over prostitution? Is it right that its a criminal act to buy sex but not to sell it? But it's criminal to live off the proceeds of prostitution? The whole issue is confusing.

Why don't we either make it legal or illegal, one way or the other?

I think - in theory, at any rate - prostitution should be made legal, if nothing else, to safeguard the working girls (and boys) in many ways; but for a couple of niggling burocratic hiccups

1) The Government would be seen irrifutably to be living off immoral earnings (their taxes) and be seen as pimps officially Which is, reasenably enough, illegal I believe.

2) My head does press ups at the thought of the compulsory government training that no doubt would be required; I cannot help but wonder if legal prositutes would have to be trained, and take examinations and be seen to work to an acceptable, governement approved level in the skills of fellacio, cunnaligus, fetish work, and so on?

In all seriousness though, my heart goes out to the famillies of those who have been murdered. Regardless of whether we approve of their chosen profession or not they were all somebody's daughter or friend.

They were talking about this issue on radio 4 this morning - and one of the contributors (sorry I don't recall the names think he may have been editor of a tabloid) kept saying 'they were targetted because they were prostitutes' which leads me to wonder how he could *possibly* know that, and know that they weren't targetted because they were women who happened to be more vulnerable/accessible.

If they had all been nurses, I suppose they would be being called 'nurse murders', but would their profession be the first thing you heard about them? It is tricky because the media does love short-hand ways of grouping people - they could have called them sex workers, or just 'women'.

I used to know several years ago a few girls who worked as prostitutes in Suffolk/Norfolk, all of whom were extremely nice girls, with little in common asides the shared occupation choice, and yes, for each it was a choice, when confronted with lousy pay in dead end jobs or this as an alternative, they chose that route.. I agree it should be about time the government gave in to its archaic outmoded objections and legalised prostitution as a profession, making it safer and of course legal for all those involved in the sex industrys... Not sure about the 'government training' for it though My heart goes out to the families and friends of the murdered women and I hope that those still working on the streets in Ipswitch and surrounding areas heed the warnings and stay safe and away from the perpitrator of these horrific crimes, at least until he's caught and help stop any more women needlessly dieing...

As women working on the streets these women were easier for the psycho to target, but I don't think anyone should be in any doubt, if you or I, or any woman was walking home alone or in a vulnerable position (it's Christmas - there'll be lots of girls out drinking) we're all targets.

I hope he's caught - and soon.

Take care out there.

We're certainly all targets, and not just women; Springs to mind only this Monday, 1AM a 20something year old guy was walking through the short cut opposite my house that leads towards teh graveyard, but which is a short cut to the main road, and was attacked by three men, and suffered what the news reported as a 'sexual attack'

Yes, apparently this sort of attack is on the increase, and at least nowadays men are more prepared to report it. However, describing these as sexual attacks is misleading, as far as I'm aware they are more about power - and abuse of power - the sexual element is really only the wrapping paper.

You're right - anyone going out this silly season should stay with their friends and be wary.

I see from today's Evening Standard that the press have got what they've been hankering for all along: a catchy name. The murderer is now 'The Suffolk Strangler'.

I wish he'd turn his attention to those opportunistic maggots instead.

Yes, i heard that this morning too, and just had to cringe- these papers are just walking cliches. A workmate suggested it should be 'the Suffolk Suffocator', but i doubt yer average tabloid reader would be able to understand such a long word.

I'd not heard that... Actually, and having just listened to the news on the radio, they're still not mentioning on the radio news at least how the murders were done (IE., by strangulation or otherwise)

I believe at least one them was strangled, but I only caught Breakfast this morning.