In what New Zealand media reported as a 鈥渨orld first鈥, the Human Rights Review Tribunal awarded the 22-year-old brothel worker NZ$25,000 (US$21,000).
The tribunal heard the brothel owner reportedly told the woman he could do what he liked with the women who worked for him.
Over a three-month period, the older man belittled and frightened the woman until she felt unsafe and on edge, became depressed and turned to alcohol, according to the tribunal鈥檚 decision released Saturday.
鈥淪ex workers are as much entitled to protection from sexual harassment as those working in other occupations,鈥 the ruling said.
鈥淭he fact that a person is a sex worker is not a license for sexual harassment 鈥 especially by the manager or employer at the brothel.鈥
New Zealand Prostitutes Collective national coordinator Catherine Healy told Fairfax 黑料社 the decision showed New Zealand had become a world leader in sex workers鈥 human rights after legalizing prostitution in 2003.
鈥淚t鈥檚 one up for decriminalization, it鈥檚 a significant ruling because it could never have happened when sex work was illegal. It indicates the massive change (the industry) has gone through,鈥 she said.
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