Ms Linda Latham:

Sometimes it is hard to distinguish between them. Often one can clearly see the difference in different presentations. One does not know the definite fact until one is told by the person. Very few such women have presented to us. Of those who did, some of them had escaped from brothels with STIs. It was clearly evident that they had run out and they had clearly been trafficked. What is difficult now is that they have to go through the Garda National Immigration Bureau, GNIB, to become a suspected victim of trafficking. We looked at UK models of social care for women who were trafficked and in prostitution, and there was a far more participatory role in determining that. In my experience, the harms caused to women in prostitution are similar whether they have been trafficked, are controlled or freely chose to enter it.