Only 10% of Qld prostitution legal

AAP

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TEN years after brothels became legal in Queensland, 90 per cent of prostitution in the state occurs outside the law, university research shows.

The University of Queensland's Human Trafficking Working Group said Queensland's attempts to regulate prostitution have clearly failed.

Associate professor Andreas Schloenhardt (Schloenhardt) said current legislation was very restricted.

It is limited to legal brothels and to services offered by sole operators outside public spaces.

"This accounts for only 10 per cent of Queensland's prostitution industry and does not include escort agencies, street prostitution or unlicensed brothels," Prof Schloenhardt said.

"These activities, some 90 per cent of the prostitution industry, remain either unregulated or illegal."

He said legalising some parts of the industry had not eliminated the demand for illegal sex services.

The fact that prosecutions are rare is also a contributing factor.

The results of research undertaken by Prof Schloenhardt and law students will be presented at a public lecture - Happy Birthday Brothels - at the university on Monday evening.