From Survivor to Advocate: A Former Sex Worker's Fight for Safety
Amanda Hailes worked as a street-based sex worker in Hull during the terrifying period when Gary Allen murdered Samantha Class, another woman in the industry. Today, Amanda has transformed her trauma into advocacy, campaigning tirelessly for safer conditions and greater rights for sex workers across the United Kingdom.
The Horrific Crimes That Shook a Community
In 1997, 29-year-old mother Samantha Class was strangled by Gary Allen and her body discarded in the river before being discovered on the banks of the Humber Estuary. During the initial trial, Allen was acquitted of Samantha's murder. He went on to kill again in 2019, murdering Alena Grlakova, who also worked in the sex industry.
The new Prime Video documentary series Chasing a Killer: Gary Allen revisits both cases, including the 2021 re-trial that attempted to finally bring Allen to justice for Samantha's murder. Amanda Hailes appears in the two-part documentary, providing crucial firsthand perspective on the fear that gripped the sex worker community during this period.
'It was absolutely terrifying,' Amanda recalls of that time. 'With it being one of our peers, somebody that worked the street as we did. And because Gary Allen hadn't been arrested for a while, we thought somebody was targeting us.'
Working in Fear: Survival Amidst Danger
Police searched for a year before finding and charging Allen with Samantha's murder. During that time, two other sex workers died, causing grave concern throughout the community. Despite the clear danger, Amanda and others continued working the streets.
'We continued working the streets, even though it was such a risk,' Amanda explains. 'It was really difficult at that time, just trying to survive it.'
She paints a vivid picture of Hull thirty years ago: 'The drug epidemic hit the city really hard. And a lot of women began sex work, including myself. So, it was incredibly busy on the streets in the red light district. We were desperate, trying to put food on the table, support our families, and supporting our addictions as well.'
The Reality of Sex Work: Beyond Stereotypes
Amanda describes sex work as 'a cash business' that many enter out of desperation rather than choice. Comparing it to other illicit ways of making money, she notes: 'Drug dealing is incredibly difficult. Shoplifting? You get caught constantly.'
But she emphasizes: 'It's not until you enter sex work that you realise it's far from easy. Physically and emotionally, it's soul destroying.'
Amanda was in a house just a couple doors down from where Samantha lived when she learned about her death. 'I was waiting to score, and I was sat with another girl who worked the streets. We found out because the police arrived to search her house. It was absolutely shocking.'
She remembers Samantha fondly: 'She was friendly, she was outgoing, just a really nice girl from what I can remember.'
From Trauma to Advocacy: Changing Perceptions
Now, twenty-nine years later, Amanda focuses her energy on advocacy work, collaborating with local services to help them better understand the complex realities facing sex workers. Her role in the documentary provides crucial insight into the lived experiences of women who feared for their lives while simply trying to earn money.
Speaking about her contribution to the series, Amanda states: 'My role is to try and shatter the stigma, give a different perspective, insight, and truth because we're perceived in films and media and often in newspapers, as if it's a life choice, when in fact it isn't, it is the final desperate act.'
She continues: 'I think that sex workers are misunderstood. We're often seen in films as the tart with a heart or victim number one, two, or three.'
This isn't how Amanda wants women like Samantha and Alena to be remembered. She urges people to recall them 'as women, as mothers, as daughters, as grandchildren. We need to remember them for who they were, not what they were.'
The Dangerous Reality: Why Sex Workers Are Targeted
Amanda offers a sobering analysis of why predators target sex workers: 'I think abusers like Gary Allen target sex workers because we're easy, right? We get in the cars, we drive to a dark area.'
But she makes a crucial distinction: 'But we've got to remember sex workers are women. So it's not just: "They're preying on sex workers". They're preying on women. And that needs to be understood. If they're a danger to sex workers, they're a danger to all women.'
Support Organizations for Sex Workers in the UK
Several organizations provide essential support for sex workers across the United Kingdom:
- Beyond the Streets works to raise awareness of the sex industry and help women take practical steps toward leaving exploitation.
- National Ugly Mugs works to end all forms of violence against sex workers.
- Streetlight UK is a frontline service helping women find pathways out of prostitution and violence.
- SWARM is a collective of sex workers who advocate for the rights of everyone who sells sexual services.
- Nia offers non-judgmental support across parts of London to women and girls involved in prostitution, specializing in providing refuge for those with problematic substance use.
Chasing a Killer: Gary Allen is currently streaming on Amazon Prime Video, offering viewers a deeper understanding of these tragic cases and the broader issues facing sex workers in the UK.
