Prostitution: Senate retouching fining customers

From AFP | AFP -

A special committee of the Senate on Tuesday introduced a bill to strengthen the fight against prostitution, but also eliminates one of the pillars of the text, the criminalization of clients, said Esther Benbassa Senator, Member of the Commission.

"After more than two hours of discussion," the committee voted to delete this provision, buy the penalty for sexual acts, tickets 1500 € 16 helpful (compared with 12 in favor and 2 abstentions), Sen. Europe Ecologie said - Les Verts (VTE).

"We have the uncertainty of the prostitutes who shows the rare customer who wants to impose their will and forced into prostitution. Example of Sweden, that this does not work criminalized hide stressed," he told AFP Benbassa woman.

Several members of the Special Committee, including the PS Senator Jean-Pierre Godefroy, the committee chairman, has repeatedly expressed its reservation as part of the text.

Customers can be punished, but in the Senate amendment to the session back.

However, the bill has been approved by the National Assembly in December, was not planned in the Senate after the vote, Ms. Benbassa believes he is "unscheduled meeting."

Bill based on the Swedish model, which punishes customers since 1999.

The text is also included the abolition of the crime of solicitation, measures of social and professional support for those who want to leave prostitution, who grew up in the Senate, Benbassa.

In a joint statement, the two PS-legislator members of the Special Commission "system of prostitution" bill by the National Assembly, Maud Olivier, and Catherine Contello noted that "if the law does not consider the need to reduce the demand and other aspects of the law will not be effective. "

Penalty supporters of women's rights Najat Belkacem-Vallaud, resorting to prostitution to feed their criminal networks should not be ignored.

His appearance before the Committee, the Minister of Justice Christiane Taubira However, he stressed that we underestimate the concerns of those who fear that the associations of the criminalization of prostitutes in more hidden places not draw customers.

Since Monday, the city of Toulouse is prohibits prostitution in areas where there is a day.