Brutal murder of Geila Ibram reignites debate over Ireland’s sex trade laws
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Who was Geila Ibram, and how was she murdered in Limerick?
27-year-old mum of four, Gaila Ibram, was murdered in 2023 while working as a sex worker in Limerick. The violent attack was committed by Habib Shah Shamal, who in recent weeks has been up in court for terrorism-related offences. The case itself has reignited the call among campaign groups for the decriminalisation of the sex trade in Ireland. But with only 15 convictions for those buying sex between 2017 and 2024, it raises questions around how the sex trade operates in this country. Today, I'm joined by Crime World's Denise Smith to discuss Ireland's sex trade and if meaningful change can be made following Guyla's murder. I'm Chloe McPolin and you're listening to Crime World, a podcast from crimeworld.com.
Denise, you've written a piece this week about an individual called Habib Shamal. He's up in court in recent weeks on a terrorism offence. But I suppose, could you go back in time and tell me a bit about what he did to a lady called Gila Ibram in 2023?
Yeah, so it's obviously a very violent and disturbing case. In 2023, Gaila, who happened to be a mother of four, she was 27, and from Romania moved to Ireland. She was living here for three weeks when she got in contact with Shamal, who he arranged to meet her for sex. On the 4th of April 2023, they met. And he violently murdered her. So the course of events that took place was he came to her apartment in Limerick. He gave her 100 euro. She passed it on to a colleague. And within seconds, the colleague heard her screaming. He had stabbed her five times. And I think what is striking and what the prosecution later went on to say that the speed of which he attacked her basically inferred that he had planned to kill her, go there and kill her that day.
How did Habib Shah Shamel flee after the murder, and what terrorism evidence was found?
So where did Shamel flee to after he committed the attack? He kind of fled the scene, didn't he?
Yeah, so initially he traveled to Dublin where he got a bus to Belfast. And then two days later, the PSNI picked him up. where they actually found a USB on his person. And that's basically why we're seeing him back in the news cycle at the minute because he's up on a terrorist-related charge. So on the USB key, they found really extremist... terrorist-related content. There was videos that showed how to make a bomb at home. There was videos of beheading and executions. And then they also found a handwritten letter in his bag that he had addressed to his mother where he said that he wanted to sacrifice his life to Allah.
Oh my God, really distressing stuff then.
How do Ireland’s sex trade laws regulate buying and selling sex?
But ultimately, I suppose you were writing the piece because Guy Lab was a sex worker at the time. But can you kind of give us a bit of a sense of how the sex trade actually operates in Ireland at present?
Yeah, we're under the Nordic kind of law, which came in in 2017. And to just put it simply, it is illegal to buy sex, but it is legal to sell sex. So basically what the government were trying to do were to decrease demand and basically put the onus and criminal liability on the buyer, basically. But there is a caveat to that. There is brothel keeping laws, which means that it is illegal for sex workers to work together, two or more sex workers to work together in the same premises. And that's kind of where things get really heated in terms of the debate. Some sex workers will say that that puts them at risk and drives sex work more underground, while opponents of that will say that we need to keep that criminalised because it deters
criminal organizations, it deters them from exploiting vulnerable women.
How many people have been convicted of buying sex in Ireland?
And do we know how many people have actually been prosecuted since 2017 for
buying sex? So not many, really. So I think the figures are from 2017 up to 2024, the DPP pursued or directed 161 prosecutions for sexual activity with a sex worker. And only 15 were convicted. So a very, very, very low number.
It doesn't seem to be something that's kind of top of the agenda then. No.
Why do sex workers want Ireland to remove the ban on brothel keeping?
But I thought it was interesting in the piece you wrote about the group, the Red Umbrella group, Erin, and they're basically calling for the removal on the ban on brothel keeping.
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Chapters
7 chapters
1
Who was Geila Ibram, and how was she murdered in Limerick?
0:02–2:01
2
How did Habib Shah Shamel flee after the murder, and what terrorism evidence was found?
2:01–2:54
3
How do Ireland’s sex trade laws regulate buying and selling sex?
2:54–4:07
4
How many people have been convicted of buying sex in Ireland?
4:07–4:39
5
Why do sex workers want Ireland to remove the ban on brothel keeping?
4:39–5:50
6
Do shared workplaces make sex workers safer under Ireland’s current laws?
5:50–6:26
7
What changes could improve safety and support for sex workers in Ireland?
6:26–8:12
Speakers
2 identifiedMore from Crime World
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