Spain to battle prostitution
Spain to battle prostitution
The Spanish congress voted on Tuesday in favor of a bill to abolish prostitution, imposing tougher penalties on men buying sex.
A total of 232 lawmakers voted for the proposal, while 38 voted against it and 69 abstained, Reuters reported. The proposal stipulates a modification of Article 187 to state that “a prison sentence of one to three years… will be imposed on anyone who, for profit, promotes, favors or facilitates the prostitution of another person, even with her consent,” according to Euro Weekly.
The law would sentence “the third-party agency” with two to four years plus fines for those who use “the practice of acts of a sexual nature in exchange for money or any other type of economic benefit.” Euro Weekly reported.
A protest was held in May to call for the congress to ban pimping and prostitution. The Spanish police reported that the protest was organized by 175 groups and drew some 7,000 people, mostly women, according to the South China Morning Post, which added that the protesters were carrying signs and banners reading “We women are not commodities” and “Prostitution is not a job.”
This move comes after Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez made a vow before he won the elections for another term on April 28 to ban prostitution, according to the Guardian.
