Law to punish people who profit from prostitution

The proposals have been published on regional government websites

A REFORM of regional entertainment legislation will make venues where prostitution goes on liable to be fined.

The reform, which went on public display this week prior to its approval, is designed to target establishments that disguise this activity with licences for hostelry or recreational businesses, explained regional justice councillor Gabriela Bravo. It will make Valencia the first and only Spanish region to punish the demand for sex in public establishments by fining those who provide a place where women are prostituted and advertising for paid sex, she said.

This public consultation period will allow associations and interested individuals to make any objections they may have.

Sra Bravo said this is important because ‘we want this reform to have the greatest consensus possible, for which we need to collect the opinions of everyone who wants to give us their vision’.

The proposals are on the regional government’s transparency and justice department websites, or can be requested by email to espectaculosvalen cia@gva.es until March 24.

A study by the justice department for the Valencian forum for abolition of prostitution estimated there are 10,000 to 13,000 prostituted women, 164 establishments identified as venues for prostitution and over 52,000 adverts on the internet for prostitution services in the region. It also found that prostituted people are very vulnerable, as they are victims of violence, social exclusion, poverty and xenophobia, amongst other factors.

This situation is perpetuated by high demand, as an estimated 115,000 men in the Valencia region have paid for sex in the last year.