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Sex workers in St. John’s are being lured to hotels, forced into a room and gang-raped by 12 to 20 men, an outreach group said Thursday.

The Safe Harbour Outreach Project (SHOP) issued a public warning after sex workers called to report separate instances of assault involving gang rape and sodomy on the “warn other workers” tip line.

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S.H.O.P is issuing a MAJOR sexual assault warning to sex workers in NL #sexworkNL#TRIGGERWARNINGhttp://t.co/Lxc81nf7GE —

S.H.O.P. (@sexworkoutreach) October 02, 2014

Each victim said they went to a hotel with the understanding they were meeting a single client. But when they arrived at the door, they were pulled inside a room where between 12 and 20 men were waiting. The attacks aren’t believed to centre around one hotel, the outreach group said.

Police contacted SHOP about the assaults but the group could share few details because its tip line is confidential, co-ordinator Laura Winters said. She offered the victims a chance to file a complaint with police, but each refused. The group does not usually publicize details from calls to the tip line, but decided to make an exception due to the severity of the crimes.

Ms. Winters would not confirm the number of reported assaults, but said both male and female sex workers have been attacked.