Men threaten girls working the streets

By LOUISA CLEAVE police reporter

Young prostitutes in south Auckland have been threatened by a group of men wanting to cash-in on their work since prostitution laws were reformed, says a community worker.

Mama Tere, who runs the support centre Te Aronga Hou Inaianei, a stone's throw from where women work the streets near Hunter's Corner, said transsexual workers had told her about the stand-over tactics.

Mama Tere said she did not know whether the men had gang connections or were "uneducated, low-level pimps" who believed the new laws gave them a right to "work the girls and live off their living".

Yesterday morning, Mama Tere arrived at the centre to find a machete on the doorstep.

"You can take it any way. It could have been someone handing it in to be rid of or it's a warning. In any case, it's a worry."

Mama Tere said the men had not approached transsexual workers, who visit her centre and tell her what is going on among the prostitutes.

"They came in the other night telling me some of the girls have been chased by the men, and stood over saying they'll be protected [if they work for them]."

Mama Tere believed the bill had "very quickly caused a bit of a territorial thing". There had been "the odd prospector" trying to control working prostitutes in the past, but stand-over tactics had not been used.

Mama Tere, who is a member of the police community liaison group, said she would pass the information and the machete on to authorities.

She spoke to Maori wardens, who told the Herald they had never heard of such incidents before.

* Unionists have lifted a picket against the Showgirls strip club, in Auckland, after a management offer to negotiate over four sacked cleaners.

Alliance president Matt McCarten, whose Unite union kept publicity-shy patrons away when it picketed the club on Friday night, said he expected a settlement soon from talks which began after the management urged him not to repeat the performance.