Guest W***ledi*Time Report post Posted August 5, 2011 Bruce McDougall and Mark Morri report in The Daily Telegraph August 05, 2011: http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/sydney-nsw/tax-pays-for-disabled-sex-sessions/story-e6freuzi-1226108595914 THE state government [of New South Wales, Australia] is paying for disabled patients in its care to be escorted to brothels for sex as part of their therapy. At least six patients made government-approved visits to prostitutes last year - one of them making the sex trips once a month. Five patients were allowed out of hospital to visit brothels between two and four times during the year, The Daily Telegraph can reveal. Patients pay for the sex sessions, but taxpayers foot the bill for staff to accompany them and bring them back. The brothel visits are authorised under the Department of Ageing, Disability and Home Care's Sexuality and Human Relationships policy. The policy, backed by the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and accessed under freedom of information laws, says patients have a "right to use a sex worker or sex aids". Late last year the program was almost derailed when a patient from Morisset Hospital's Kanangra Centre allegedly attacked a prostitute while visiting a Newcastle brothel.It is understood the incident was resolved without the involvement of police.The department's policy says: "The employment of sex workers is to be closely matched to meeting a client's sexual needs. "Sex workers are to be considered as only one of a range of options in meeting the sexual needs of a client." The department refused to provide more details of the brothel visits because of confidentiality and the possibility it may "result in the establishment denying service to the client". It said there was also a risk that stopping the visits may affect the health and behaviour of patients. The NSW Nurses' Association yesterday said it did not oppose escorting disabled patients to brothels. "Disabled people are human and have needs like anyone else," the association's general secretary Brett Holmes said. "This is a therapeutic decision which can benefit both the patient and other residents in the facilities. "The thinking behind this is that many of those who have urges can find a release which can stop or reduce inappropriate behaviour." Mr Holmes said it was often difficult for disabled people to engage in sexual or normal physical relationships. This, especially, was the case while they were patients in state government facilities. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Soleil Sublime 38108 Report post Posted August 5, 2011 Well it's about bloody well time! Now if Canada would only get with the program. Sigh. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Cleo Catra 178382 Report post Posted August 5, 2011 I've heard about this happening in another country as well, I believe Amsterdam but am not sure. Makes purrfect sense and I'm happy to see it happening more. Would be great if it happened here! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mrrnice2 157005 Report post Posted August 5, 2011 That sounds like such a simple thing, yet how can it be so difficult to implement or be made available everywhere. Fundamentally, it is a recognition that sex IS one of the basic human needs, and logically it should follow that it be easily and legally available to all. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest W***ledi*Time Report post Posted August 5, 2011 I've heard about this happening in another country as well, I believe Amsterdam but am not sure. Makes purrfect sense and I'm happy to see it happening more. Would be great if it happened here! The UK, for one, does a similar thing ... I posted an article last year: http://www.cerb.ca/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=150951 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Phaedrus 209521 Report post Posted August 6, 2011 The UK, for one, does a similar thing ... I posted an article last year: http://www.cerb.ca/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=150951 Which, I'm told, caused an huge scandal. Half the country was outraged that the taxpayer was funding this at all; the other half was outraged because many of the visits were made in Amsterdam, and the implication that English ladies are somehow inadequate was considered a national insult. I must admit, if I was an English SP, I'd have been pretty offended too... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
