Rome’s ‘zones of tolerance’ under fire
Catholic Church, prostitutes united in opposition to plan that would move sex workers into tucked-away red-light districts
ROME— The Eternal City is colliding with the world’s oldest profession — and the sparks, as they say, are flying.
The ranks of streetwalkers have surged here in the heart of Catholicism, a swell that Rome’s officials are decrying as a stain on the dignity of the city’s citizens. But in a town of sinners as well as saints, outright bans on selling sex have failed before, leaving city authorities to put their faith in a new approach.
Their plan is to corral the growing number of sex workers into an unpopulated set of designated streets — in short, a tucked away red-light district. Proponents reason the working girls can still serve male clients, but beyond the delicate eyes of wives, grandmothers and children.
The “zones of tolerance,” however, are meeting strong resistance from the Roman Catholic Church, the national government and the prostitutes themselves, raising the curtain on a very Italian opera centred on a plan that critics call a classic attempt to sweep “sin” under the rug.
Some are also bristling at the gender characterizations implicit in a plan that would, in effect, segregate the unreformed Mary Magdalenes from the “respectable” women of Rome — mostly to the benefit of men. With prostitutes confined to uninhabited parts of town, husbands, boyfriends and johns could enjoy greater anonymity.
The ensuing clash is bringing to the surface the uncomfortable question of rampant prostitution in a country that, despite being home to a certain brand of catcalling machismo, has what experts call an incredibly hard time talking about sex.
Italy’s prostitution laws are vague and still largely guided by a half-century-old act that banned brothels but left unclear the legality of street solicitation. Religious groups that work with prostitutes say the “streetwalk- er problem” is now critical, with the population at roughly 12,000 — about double the number from a decade ago.
Experts blame the increase on more criminal gangs funnelling sex slaves into Rome from Eastern Europe and Africa, as well as the effect of tough economic times in a bevy of European nations, including Italy.
Nowhere is the situation quite as dire as in the Roman district of EUR, the place where the zones of tolerance are set to be piloted in the spring.
In the district, hundreds of prostitutes in lingerie and vertigo-inducing heels start peddling their wares well before sundown, often soliciting near parks and sidewalks where young lovers, older couples and families take their evening strolls.
On a recent afternoon, Paolo Lampariello, head of a citizens group that supports the new zones, combed through the grass behind bushes and indignantly pointed out used condoms and pantyhose wrappers.
No place, he said, is sacred anymore. Sex workers are now operating on the steps of a local church, “even behind the statue of Gandhi,” Lampariello said.
“This is not a problem for us men, but women — wives, mothers — should not have to see this,” he lamented. “We now have grandmothers going out on their balconies and looking down at, at, at you know what.”
Yet growing opposition to the plan has made unlikely allies of the Catholic Church, which is fighting it on moral grounds, and prostitutes themselves, who are resisting it based on more earthly commercial concerns.
“You put us all in one small zone and the competition is going to be too fierce, baby,” said Nicola, who declined to give a last name. “I’m telling you, this is going to be a river of blood. There are too many of us.”