Karnataka High Court judge H.S. Kempanna said sex workers should be allowed to lead a normal life instead of being discriminated against.
Speaking after inaugurating a two-day workshop on ‘Atrocities on neglected women – legal and social aspects’ at the zilla panchayat here on Saturday, Justice Kempanna said that women in distress were forced into prostitution by a network. He said that there was lack of awareness among sex workers about HIV/AIDS and many succumbed to the disease.
The media, police and NGOs should create awareness among them, he said.
The judge expressed concern over the increasing number of trafficking cases and told officials concerned not to neglect kidnapping and missing cases involving women and children.
Principal District and Sessions judge H.B. Prabhakara Shastry, Deputy Commissioner K.S. Sathyamurthy and Superintendent of Police Raman Gupta were present.