Prostitutes complain police still don't listen despite murders

A concern group has received 248 complaints in less than two months from prostitutes about police handling of their crime reports, as the force reviews its guidelines on officers' attitudes and procedures.

Elaine Lam Yee-ling, spokeswoman for the sex worker rights organisation Zi Teng, told the Legislative Council security panel yesterday that no effective action had been taken to curb crime against prostitutes - although the police had pledged to implement three measures after the murders of four prostitutes in March.

'They say there is a help hotline, but no girl ever knows the number,' she said, referring to mobile telephone numbers provided by each police station for sex workers to seek assistance in non-emergency situations. 'I once called and the officer said it was his private phone number and told me not to call again.'

The chief superintendent of the Crime Support Unit, Albert Ng Kam-wing, said officers in each district had been giving the hotline numbers to sex workers since last Thursday and denied they were private numbers. He said he would look into the implementation of this measure.

Since the middle of last month, the force had been producing drawings of people suspected of victimising prostitutes, hoping prostitutes could identify them. Officers would meet concern groups every three to four months, he said.

Ms Lam said the group had received 248 complaints since it last discussed ways to better protect sex workers' personal safety with the police on March 17. In one case, police refused to accept a crime report from a prostitute claiming she had been paid in counterfeit banknotes. Others have reported being annoyed by officers who kept asking them for information about the property owners of their brothels.