Behind the masquerade: Illicit massage businesses in Melbourne

This thesis investigates how and why illicit massage businesses (IMBs) in Melbourne are able to persist despite laws to prevent them. Brothels that operate under the guise of massage businesses thrive in Melbourne, with the number of illicit venues estimated to outnumber licensed brothels more than five times. The illicit industry is associated with sexual exploitation and human trafficking, and Asian women are vastly overrepresented. The thesis argues that the current ubiquity of IMBs in Melbourne demonstrates the failures of Victoria’s approach to prostitution policy, and suggests future iterations of prostitution policy, ie. decriminalisation, should be held to greater scrutiny.