City's Vice Squad assists SAPS in Brothel Closures

Two brothels in Goodwood have been closed down after a collaborative undercover operation between the South African Police Services and the "Vice Squad" of the City of Cape Town's Specialised Law Enforcement Services.

Neil Arendse, spokesperson for Specialised Law Enforcement Services, thanked members of the public who had alerted the unit to the presence of the brothels.

"Members of the two teams visited the brothels for verification purposes and were offered a variety of sexual services for payment. There were four women working at each of the premises," he said.

Other, bona fide clients visited these premises when the police were present, but when they took the women into custody the would-be clients left in a hurry providing a variety of innovative explanations to justify their presence.

The City's Streets and Public Places By-law prescribes the following fines for soliciting for immoral purposes:

• First offence R500
• Second offence R1000
• Third offence R1500

This requires the City to profile sex offenders at the police station and register them on the City database if they are habitual offenders. All particulars of and a photograph of the person are taken and this evidence can subsequently be used should habitua offenders be arraigned in court

All the offenders so far profiled were arrested and taken to the local. SAPS for profiling and then released on a Section 56 Notice. This means they received a fine in line with the afore-mentioned fine schedules.

"In addition to the closure of the two brothels, 23 sex workers were profiled and released on a Section 56 notice and the fines paid in terms of these notices totaled R14 500. Five were repeat offenders having been previously profiled. In the past week the City's Vice Squad has taken 84 sex workers into custody for soliciting and all have been released after being profiled and fined," Arendse said.

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Issued by:
Communication Department
City of Cape Town