The Bishops' Conference of Scotland

Press Release

Action on Exploitation with Support for New Prostitution Bill

For Immediate Release
28 January 2026

Bishops’ Conference Calls for Action on Exploitation with Support for New Prostitution Bill

The Bishops’ Conference of Scotland has written to the First Minister of Scotland to express the Church’s support for the Prostitution (Offences and Support) (Scotland) Bill, currently before the Scottish Parliament.

In the letter, the Bishops’ Conference describes the Bill, tabled by independent MSP, Ash Regan, as “a vital step toward protecting some of the most vulnerable individuals in our society and addressing the systemic harms associated with prostitution in Scotland.”

Protecting Victims and Challenging Demand

The Bill’s central purpose—to reduce prostitution and tackle exploitation, coercion, and harm—is described as both compelling and necessary.

It proposes a new offence for the purchase of sexual acts, while repealing outdated laws that historically penalised those who were themselves victims. The Bill would also quash previous convictions under section 46 of the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982, removing what Bishop Keenan calls a “significant barrier” to rebuilding lives.

The Bishops’ Conference supports the Bill’s adoption of a “challenging demand” model, shifting criminal responsibility away from individuals exploited through prostitution—overwhelmingly women and girls—and onto the buyers who fuel the commercial sex market. This model reflects international best practice and aligns with Scotland’s wider commitments to tackling violence against women and girls.

Addressing Vulnerability and Trauma

The letter highlights the deep vulnerabilities that underpin involvement in prostitution. Many affected individuals have experienced childhood abuse, care experience, grooming, and trauma, with young people—particularly those leaving care—at high risk of exploitation. Technology has intensified these risks, expanding opportunities for manipulation.

Human Trafficking Concerns

The Bishops’ Conference also emphasises the Bill’s relevance to combatting human trafficking for sexual exploitation, a significant and documented issue in Scotland. International evidence links reductions in trafficking to demand‑reduction legislation. Bishop Brian McGee, Vice‑President of the Bishops’ Conference, has contributed insight from his work with the Santa Marta Group, an international alliance dedicated to ending human trafficking. He believes the Bill reflects “the realities identified by trafficked people, law enforcement, and Church agencies around the world.”

Right to Support

A key component of the proposed legislation is the creation of a statutory right to support for anyone currently or previously involved in prostitution. This includes access to accommodation, financial aid, healthcare, and counselling—supports deemed essential for enabling safe and sustainable exits from prostitution.

Call for Political Leadership

Acknowledging differing political opinions, and expecting Parliament to provide considerable scrutiny from which the Bill can benefit, the letter urges the Scottish Government to show leadership by backing the Bill, underscoring its potential to protect vulnerable women and girls, prevent trafficking, and advance equality.

ENDS

Contact:
Media Office

Bishops’ Conference of Scotland
64 Aitken Street, ML6 6LT
Tel: 01236 764061
Email: [email protected]

< READ LETTER

The Roman Catholic Bishops in Scotland work together to undertake nationwide initiatives through their Commissions and Agencies.

The members of the Bishops' Conference are the Bishops of the eight Scottish Dioceses. Where appropriate the Bishops Emeriti (retired) provide a much welcomed contribution to the work of the conference. The Bishops' Conference of Scotland is a permanently constituted assembly which meets regularly throughout the year to address relevant business matters.

Members of The Bishops' Conference of Scotland

Click here to visit the Jubilee 2025 website

The Jubilee Prayer

Father in heaven,

may the faith you have given us

in your son, Jesus Christ, our brother,

and the flame of charity enkindled in our hearts by the Holy Spirit, reawaken in us the blessed hope for the coming of your Kingdom.

May your grace transform us into tireless cultivators of the seeds of the Gospel.

May those seeds transform from within both humanity and the whole cosmos in the sure expectation of a new heaven and a new earth,

when, with the powers of Evil vanquished,

your glory will shine eternally.

May the grace of the Jubilee reawaken in us, Pilgrims of Hope, a yearning for the treasures of heaven. May that same grace spread the joy and peace of our Redeemer throughout the earth.

To you our God, eternally blessed, be glory and praise for ever.

Amen

News from the Commissions and Agencies

Archive by tag: Bishops' Conference of ScotlandReturn

October 2025

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Pope Leo XIV celebrates Mass for the canonization of seven new Saints, and reminds Christians of the need to pray to God fervently and trustingly, ...

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From Universalis today

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From Universalis today
Prayer
Luke 18:1-8
‘God will give justice to his elect, who cry to him.’

At that time: Jesus told his disciples a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart. He said, ‘In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected man. And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, “Give me justice against my adversary.” For a while he refused, but afterwards he said to himself, “Though I neither fear God nor respect man, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice, so that she will not beat me down by her continual coming.” ’
And the Lord said, ‘Hear what the unrighteous judge says. And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?’

Commentary

We often think of prayer as mere asking, and this parable encourages us to pester God as the wronged widow pestered the Unjust Judge. Luke’s parables are always lively, and the characters like to talk and explain themselves! The judge’s fear of the widow can be translated that she will come and ‘outface me’, but it could also be translated ‘hit me in the face’. But such persistence is only one aspect of Luke’s teaching on prayer. He also shows us what our attitude in prayer should be, by the parable immediately following in the gospel, the Pharisee and the Tax-Collector: the tax-collector wins approval because he just stands there, admitting his sins. Most instructive, however, is Luke’s teaching on Jesus at prayer: he reminds us that Jesus is always quietly at prayer to his Father. He needs to slip away to spend the night in prayer. Especially he prays at the most important moments of his life, at his Baptism, when he chooses his team, before he teaches them to pray, at the approach of his Passion, finally forgiving and comforting others at his death. Paul tells us we should pray continually. The prayer of asking must be built on a relationship of love and dependence, just as the request of child to parents is built on that loving relationship. It does not matter if the child is naughty, as long as the relationship is one of love; so we do not need to be perfect to make our requests to our Father.
HW

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Today is Mission Sunday
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St Luke 18th October
He was a Greek doctor who converted to Christianity. He was a companion of the Apostle Paul, and wrote his Gospel in accordance with Paul’s teaching. He also wrote the Acts of the Apostles, which narrates the early history of the Church up to Paul’s first stay in Rome. As a Greek, he takes care to explain to Gentile readers Jewish customs and the meaning of Hebrew words.

________

Collect

Lord God, who chose Saint Luke
to reveal by his preaching and writings
the mystery of your love for the poor,
grant that those who already glory in your name
may persevere as one heart and one soul
and that all nations may merit to see your salvation.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever.
Amen.

— Detail from "St Luke Drawing the Virgin" (1435) by Roger van der Weyden (1400-1464).
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St Ignatius of Antioch
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He was martyred in 107 and his feast was already being celebrated on this day in fourth-century Antioch.

________

Collect

Almighty ever-living God,
who adorn the sacred body of your Church
with the confessions of holy Martyrs,
grant, we pray,
that, just as the glorious passion of Saint Ignatius of Antioch,
which we celebrate today,
brought him eternal splendour,
so it may be for us unending protection.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever.

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Did you know that this Sunday, 19 October 2025, Pope Leo XIV will once again canonize 7 new saints, making it 9 Saints since his...

17 Oct, 2025 | Bishops' Conference of Scotland | BCoS Facebook |

Did you know that this Sunday, 19 October 2025, Pope Leo XIV will once again canonize 7 new saints, making it 9 Saints since his emergence as a Pontiff.

The full list of Blesseds to be canonized are:

Blessed Ignatius Maloyan
Blessed Peter To Rot
Blessed Vincenza Maria Poloni
Blessed Maria del Monte Carmelo Rendiles Blessed Martínez
Blessed Maria Troncatti
Blessed José Gregorio Hernández Cisneros
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Let us offer our prayers for the success of their Canonization.

Catholic Dailies
Be Prayerful. Be Inspired

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On October 19, 2025, St. Peter’s Square will become the stage for a remarkable celebration as Pope Leo XIV canonizes seven blesseds, each with a story that echoes across continents and centuries. Among them is a Venezuelan physician, affectionately known as the “doctor of the poor,” and an Italian lawyer whose journey from a satanic priest to a passionate apostle of the Rosary has stirred imaginations. The Holy See’s press office shared news of these canonizations, approved at Pope Leo’s first consistory, building on his earlier recognition of Carlo Acutis and Pier Giorgio Frassati and reaffirming his focus on modern lay heroes of faith. The new saints include two Venezuelans: Jose Gregorio Hernandez, cherished for his healing touch among the poor, and Maria Del Carmen Rendiles Marinez, who founded the Sisters Servants of Jesus. The list also honors Ignatius Shoukrallah Maloyan, an Armenian archbishop who gave his life during the Ottoman genocide; Peter To Rot, a lay catechist from Papua New Guinea executed in World War II; Vincenza Maria Poloni, founder of the Sisters of Mercy of Verona; and Maria Troncatti, a Salesian missionary who brought hope to Ecuador’s Shuar people. Yet, it is Bartolo Longo’s extraordinary transformation from darkness to devotion that has captured hearts ahead of the ceremony. The October 19 Mass, expected to draw throngs of pilgrims, will echo the spirit of previous canonizations, weaving together personal testimonies, sacred music, and the Pope’s solemn proclamation. On this momentous occasion, the Church’s message of conversion and mercy shines brightly, offering hope in a world hungry for meaning and compassion. Tune in to Shalom World TV and witness the canonization ceremony LIVE on Sunday, October 19, at 10:30 AM Rome Time (4:30 AM ET/ 9:30 AM BST/ 2:00 PM IST/ 7:30 PM AEDT)

#Canonization #PopeLeoXIV #StPetersSquare #BartoloLongo #newsaints

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