B.C. advocate fears alleged escort drugging will stigmatize sex workers
Posted October 13, 2022 4:00 pm.
Last Updated October 14, 2022 9:33 am.
A sex worker advocate in Metro Vancouver is worried a case involving an escort accused of drugging clients could further drive stigma against people in the industry.
Susan Davis, a member of the BC Coalition of Experiential Communities and a sex worker herself, feels for the victims but fears this could lead to increased violence against those in her industry.
“We’ve always said this, for years and years, that you never rob the client because the next sex worker will pay the price. Robbing clients is totally shunned among us, those people who do engage in this practice are not sex workers, they are criminals and they are not part of our community,” Davis told CityNews.
“Whenever you criminalize a community, you end up with less-ethical, less-honourable, under-handed people who undermine everyone’s safety by sneaking around inside your community and taking advantage of that criminalized situation.”
Related article: Vancouver woman charged with manslaughter after series of druggings
The case in question, announced by the Surrey RCMP Thursday, involves a 30-year-old woman who has been charged with manslaughter and other offences in connection with a series of druggings.
Investigators say there were reports in Burnaby, Langley, Vancouver, and Surrey.
Davis worries that this case and others like it “undermines the already-strained trust between sex workers and their clients.”
Pointing to previous research across North America, she says it’s known that “clients of sex workers were already subjected to quite high levels of violence.”
“The John’s Voice research, which was the largest study of its kind in North America, tells us how 49 per cent of sex buyers experience full-out violence while they’re trying to purchase services from a sex worker,” Davis explained.
Police believe Jessica Kane deliberately gave several of her clients what they call a ‘stupefying’ drug and then robbed them.
In one of the incidents, the Surrey RCMP says a man died in February 2021 after being given the drug. As the case is now before the courts, Cpl. Vanessa Munn says she is unable to provide specific details about each of the 21 charges the suspect faces. However, the investigation remains ongoing and additional charges could be laid.
With investigators saying there may be other potential victims who have not come forward, Davis fears some of those who were drugged could perpetuate violence against sex workers in retaliation.
Davis is offering her support to anyone who may be afraid to reach out to police or who may have questions, adding they can contact her and the BC Coalition of Experiential Communities to act as a liaison.
Davis is among those pushing for de-criminalization, though she does not support the legalization of sex work.
“We are very lucky in British Columbia. We have the lowest level of enforcement policy that has been adopted by all 45 police services and the RCMP, in terms of adult consensual sex work. The main focus of police is the exploitation of youth or any person. However, the Criminal Code of Canada is not just criminalizing the purchase of sex. It criminalizes the advertising of sexual services, it criminalizes us hiring security guards, it criminalizes us talking to one another about how to work more safely, so our freedom of association, freedom of expression. It also criminalizes being near a church or in a park, so once again excludes us from society as if we are dangerous to children and families and do not have children and families of our own,” she explained.
Kane has been remanded in custody until her next court appearance. None of the allegations against her have been proven in court.
-With files from Charlie Carey
