I grew up in Croydon, south London, and my family still live there. I hope they’ll forgive me for saying that although Croydon was a pretty good place to grow up, it’s got a bit of a reputation to live down. For many people, the best thing about Croydon is that it’s less than twenty minutes on the fast train to central London; the town has such a poor reputation that it’s given its name to the infamous croydon facelift, and even the Facebook group “I heart Croydon” has as its group description “If you come from Croydon, you’ve probably been mugged, shot or stabbed but we love it anyway! Upload ur Croydon photos! Drunken antics welcome!“.

All the same, I have an affection for the place, towering office blocks and all, and was utterly dismayed to read today’s Guardian article about my home town’s huge trafficking problem: apparently Croydon is one of the biggest ports for human trafficking in the UK, precisely as a result of its excellent transport connections, as well as the presence of the immigration agency in the town. (one of the characteristics of Croydon that I gather hasn’t changed was passing the snaking queue of people outside Lunar House waiting to see immigration officials). So good on the organisation CCAT - Croydon Community Against Trafficking - for raising the profile of the issue, doing the research and getting the arrests. When they rang saunas, massage parlours and escort agencies in Croydon, every single one offered sex; one of the researchers said:

“When you call the brothels, your options and the girls’ descriptions are read [out, as though you were] ordering a pizza”

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They want three actions: the police to close down brothels; Croydon Council not to license saunas, massage parlours and escort agencies; and the local papers to stop taking ads for “adult services”. Good luck to them on all three counts. A few years ago, after several women were rescued from a brothel off the Botley Road in Oxford, one of my friends made a similar point, and it’s still true: it is incredibly hypocritical to condemn the trade in women on the news pages, and profit from it in the small ads, in the Croydon Advertiser, Oxford Mail or anywhere else.

And well done CCAT for daring to say the unsayable: it’s rape to pay for sex with a trafficked woman. The page “For men” lays it on the line:

You may have chosen her, but she definitely didn’t choose you. [...]
Man to man, we think you can be better than that. If you are a guy who pays for sex with women in Croydon you are part of the problem. To free the slaves that are ‘shipped’ in for your pleasure you can take action.
Contact CCAT and we can put you in touch with a counsellor who can chat you through the best way to deal with your ‘desires’. Contact Crime Stoppers and tell them about the women in the brothels you have been to and what you have seen. This is a confidential and anonymous hotline.
Be a man. Give freedom to slaves in Croydon.