Sex slavery abolitionists accused the city of pimping, but councillors defended Edmonton's harm reduction in an emotionally charged meeting on Monday.

The Body Rub Centres Task Force presented 26 recommendations in its report to the Community Services Committee at a meeting, outlining a series of changes related to health and safety, bylaw and licencing, community impacts and the municipal interface.

Kylee Nixon, a member of The Friends and Families of McCauley Society, said the report legitimizes state-sanctioned violence against women that is the result of racism, sexism, poverty and life-long grooming.

"Women are pressed into prostitution by male demand rather than by personal choice," Nixon said.

She said the city's approach disregards newly-passed federal legislation.

Susan Holtby said she received a call from an acquaintance in the hospital who had been diagnosed with a vaginally-transmitted infection, which shows more is happening in the body rub centres than the city's guidelines of external manipulation of soft tissues.

"In this system of buying a woman for sex, there is no safety for women," Holtby said. "Our society will have no option except to conclude that all women, or at least some women, are not total persons."

Mayor Don Iveson said suggesting the city is profiting from prostitution mischaracterizes the point of fees charged for licences.

The report suggests reducing or eliminating fees for practitioners at the centres to allow a greater registration.

Registration allows identification, off ramps and other safety measures for the workers.

"I understand people are passionate and feel strongly, but it's a bit of a misrepresentation of what the city is trying to do, which is, in a respectful way, look after the safety and dignity of the people who are practitioners," Iveson said.

Edmonton first licenced body rub centres in 1994 as a way to deal with exploitation of minors and organized crime.

The Body Rub Centres Task Force was formed at the direction of the Community Services Committee on Sept. 3, 2014 to look at the impact of body rub centres.

Coun. Andrew Knack said the city still needs to address the behaviour that is causing sexual exploitation.

"If we don't address the men who are using this service and make sure they understand the damage they're causing, this problem will continue on, it will just never end," Knack said.

Knack said while it's still not safe, it's safer than some models which force activity under ground.

Coun. Scott McKeen, who sat on the task force, said everyone feels uncomfortable about body rub parlours as an answer, but the city is looking for ways to help practitioners to get off the street or off internet advertising.

"One of the advantages is we have regular inspections from bylaw folks and police as well," McKeen said.

He called the idea of purchasing women for sexual pleasure "loathsome."

The report concludes that a lack of economic opportunity leads to many of the workers, especially single mothers, to be employed by a body rub centre instead of conventional employment.

The committee voted to put a moratorium on new body rub centres until further policy decisions are made.

"I don't think anybody feels comfortable with the city having to have anything to do with this, but if we could pass a bylaw that ended sexual exploitation, I would," Iveson said.

A detailed review and budget will be presented in January 2016.

catherine.griwkowsky@sunmedia.ca

@SunGriwkowskyC