Simon Levy, a registered sex offender with a documented history of sexual offending, received a whole life sentence for the murders of Carmenza Valencia-Trujillo and Sheryl Wilkins. Both victims, along with others targeted by Levy, were involved in sex work. During sentencing, authorities noted that Levy deliberately selected women engaged in prostitution as victims, believing he could evade accountability. Despite the convictions, the case has renewed scrutiny into systemic failures that allowed the crimes to occur.
Data on violence affecting sex workers reveals a troubling pattern. National Ugly Mugs, a UK-based charity supporting sex workers, recorded 1,047 reports of violence in the previous year, though only 8% of those women consented to reporting incidents to police. A survey of women involved in prostitution in Scotland found that 90% had experienced violence, including attempted murder, while significant numbers reported childhood sexual abuse and exploitation. The reluctance to involve police stems from widespread distrust, as many sex workers report dismissive attitudes from law enforcement regarding their safety and complaints.
Policing approaches have created additional vulnerabilities. The ‘Clear, Hold, Build’ framework, implemented nationally in 2023 to address organized crime, has been applied to street-based sex work through closure zones that arrest and fine women for breaching designated areas. Advocates argue this strategy has displaced women into more isolated locations, undermining traditional safety practices such as working in pairs. Sheryl Wilkins, one of Levy’s victims, had been pushed from her regular work area prior to her murder in a Tottenham car park. Other women working in the same location expressed belief that the policing strategy directly contributed to her death.
The legal framework creates additional complications for sex workers seeking protection. While exchanging sexual services for money is lawful, soliciting such work remains illegal, which affects women’s ability to maintain regular client relationships and complicates their interaction with authorities. Advocates and victims continue to raise concerns that, despite policy shifts toward harm reduction models, frontline policing has not adequately reflected these changes, with enforcement still disproportionately affecting the women seeking to work safely rather than addressing violence against them.
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