As a sex worker, this infuriates me. The same people who insist that Cindy consented to the horrific acts that lead to her death are the same people who would say that sex workers are unable to consent because money is exchanged. The nordic model that is pushed as such a positive thing for sex workers contributed to what happened to Cindy, and has widespread negative effects on the entire community. Under the nordic model, sex buyers are criminalized, which leads to resistance and fear when it comes to screening. Sex worker can be arrested if we work together, if we associate with each other habitually, and it fosters an atmosphere of distrust towards law enforcement, leading to all but the most horrendous of crimes left unreported. You can be certain that this monster has hurt other women before who were lucky enough to not be mortally wounded by his violent acts. If sex workers were not treated as criminals automatically, almost certainly one of them would have reported their assault and Cindy might still be here today.

Being a sex worker does not imply unlimited consent. Money being exchanged does not mean that we are no longer people. We don’t sell our bodies to our clients, they don’t get to just do whatever they want with us and leave us to bleed out in a hotel bathtub when they are done.

What are we going to do? Are there going to be protests? There most certainly are going to be. If anyone has this information, please share it, because every sex worker that I know is absolutely disgusted by the lack of justice thus far, this sort of thing hits so close to home.