Suspect over chained woman
NIAGARA FALLS (AP) — A suspect is in custody after police in New York say a woman was found chained in a basement.
Police in Niagara Falls tell WIVB that Michael Ciskiewic was arrested Monday on charges of kidnapping, burglary, rape, assault and menacing with a weapon after he was found hiding in a nearby industrial area. Information on his lawyer wasn’t immediately available.
Police had been searching for the suspect after receiving a call about an assault early Sunday morning. They found a broken window and blood but no one was at that home.
The woman’s family was unable to make contact with her and police returned with a bloodhound. The dog tracked her to another home nearby where she was rescued. The woman was treated at a hospital and released.
Sex workers push to legalize prostitution
ALBANY (AP) — New York state would legalize the buying and selling of sex under a proposal introduced in the state Legislature Monday that would lift criminal penalties for sex work.
The bill isn’t expected to get a vote before the Democrat-led Senate and Assembly plan to adjourn for the year next week. But supporters still hailed the announcement of the bill as a critical step toward repealing criminal penalties for sex workers and their customers.
Speaking at a press conference in Manhattan Monday, former and current sex workers talked about being forced into the industry as minors. They said many sex workers rely on their jobs to make ends meet.
“We only want to live, be free and be safe,” said TS Candii, a former sex worker and current leader in the effort to decriminalize the industry. She said started selling sex at age 13 as a matter of survival.
The bill’s sponsor in the Assembly, Manhattan Democrat Richard Gottfried, said outlawing prostitution has only forced sex workers into the shadows, where they can be exploited, trafficked and then punished for breaking the law.
“Trying to stop sex work between consenting adults should not be the business of the criminal justice system,” he said. “It has not worked for a couple of thousand years.”
