THE fact that Tracey is a prostitute, pregnant, and only 17 years old is not unique. In fact it is a shockingly familiar tale from the shadowy and often violent world of Scotland's prostitutes where girls as young as 14 are sell sexual favours.
''They could be anybody's daughters,'' is the chilling verdict of her friend Rosie, who has seen life in its rawest during 30 years plying the oldest profession in both Glasgow and Edinburgh. ''Wee lassies that would break your heart to look at'', is how she describes the new generation of working girl. Many have a history of drug abuse which they feed by working the streets and saunas. In Glasgow most are trapped in a senseless spiral of routine arrest, fines, and imprisonment. In the capital licensed saunas operate with apparent impunity.
In a three-day series beginning today, The Herald casts some light on this shadow world revealing the dramatic differences in the way the problem is tackled in different parts of the country and some alternatives for the future. It begins with the girls' stories.
News Focus Page 12
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