Phoebe Utteridge

'Very precious' sex worker memorial plaque stolen, seat vandalised

A plaque honouring the lives of sex workers on Manchester St in Christchurch has been stolen and the seat vandalised, an advocacy organisation says.

The red seat outside the former St Luke's Church site featured a plaque "in memory of the women who have worked, lived and died on the streets of Christchurch."

Dame Catherine Healy, founding member of the New Zealand Sex Workers' Collective (NZPC) said the memorial was "very close to [sex workers'] hearts" and it was "upsetting" how many times the seat had been vandalised.

She said some of the wooden planks had been stolen, the seat detached from the ground and the plaque removed in December.

Local NZPC staff had repaired the seat and repainted it, but replacing the plaque would take a few weeks, Healy said.

"It's really a very important cultural icon, reflective of the need to protect sex workers who are working there now, and who have died."

She said the vibrant colour pointed to the international symbol for sex workers' rights, a red umbrella.

"It's a very precious commemorative seat," Healy said.

She was described as "caring" and "down-to-earth" by her family. It was reported at the time Manning had started a methadone programme and enrolled in an art education course, but had returned to the street in December 2008 to make money for Christmas presents.

A Christchurch City Council spokesperson said the memorial chair was approved and installed in 2010 after a request from Salvation Army Street Outreach representatives, St Luke's Church and New Zealand Sex Workers' Collective.

The request was made on behalf of Wendi Batchelor, who was a counsellor with the Salvation Army Drop-in Centre, NZPC and at Christchurch Women's Prison, and was paid for by her family and the organisations involved, they said.