An elderly man has been found deceased at an Australian brothel - and law enforcement is trying to piece together how his death occurred.
The elderly gentleman was found at a brothel in Sydney, Australia, where sex work is legal. According to Mondaq, prostitution is legal in New South Wales (where Sydney is), Northern Territory, and Victoria.
However, it is illegal to conduct sex work in South Australia and Western Australia. Queensland, Tasmania, and the Australian Capital Territory permit the work to a limited extent.
The process of decriminalizing sex work in Sydney began in 1979 when criminal offenses based on street prostitution were repealed.
By 1995, most aspects were legal, and anyone over the age of 18 could engage in sex work with consenting over-18s in exchange for money, goods, or favors. However, engaging in this type of work in the view of a school, church, hospital, or dwelling could mean being hit with a maximum penalty of $660 or three months behind bars.
The elderly gentleman in question was discovered within a legal Sydney brothel - but law enforcement is still unsure as to how he died.
As reported by News.com.au, emergency services were called to a George St premises in Hornsby at about 5:30 PM on Sunday (December 18) after concerns were raised about the man's welfare.
A spokesperson for New South Wales police revealed that a crime since has been established at the premises and they have begun conducting their investigation into how the man passed away.
"Emergency services were called following reports of a concern for welfare,” the spokesman said. "Officers attached to Kuring-Gai police area command attended and found a man, believed to be aged in his 70s, deceased.”
The incident remains unclear and the man's identity has not been revealed.
In 2019 the documentary The Pink House aired on SBS about the oldest brothel in Australia, set up in 1904 - which is located in Western Australia where sex work remains illegal.
To get around the issue of legality, the brothel operates under a containment policy - meaning the police turn a blind eye to the goings on of the establishment as long as the sex workers restrict their movement.