Last Tuesday an independent MSP launched a consultation on decriminalising prostitution and brothel-keeping. It was slammed by anti-trafficking charity, CARE for Scotland. The consultation, launched by Jean Urquhart who is standing down after next year’s Holyrood elections, would allow the keeping of brothels, soliciting and kerb-crawling - all currently illegal under Scots law. CARE for Scotland said the consultation was deeply misguided and would send a terrible message to victims and those who find themselves in prostitution because of a range of external factors such as poverty, abuse or trafficking. The charity is calling on the Scottish government to bring forward a new piece of legislation to criminalise the purchase of sex, a method which has been proved to help reduce trafficking levels in Nordic countries. The charity has already urged MSPs to consider Northern Ireland’s trafficking laws, where the purchase of sexual services is banned, as a template for Scotland to follow.