FRANCE/FILE: A bill which proposes changes to the laws governing prostitution in France is set to come before members of parliament, dividing lawmakers and sex workers themselves

Record ID: 335442

  • Title: FRANCE/FILE: A bill which proposes changes to the laws governing prostitution in France is set to come before members of parliament, dividing lawmakers and sex workers themselves
  • Date: 28th November 2013
  • Summary: PARIS, FRANCE (NOVEMBER 27, 2013) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF STREETS SURROUNDING RUE SAINT DENIS, HISTORICALLY KNOWN FOR SEX WORKERS VARIOUS EXTERIORS OF FRENCH NATIONAL ASSEMBLY INTERIOR OF FRENCH NATIONAL ASSEMBLY MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT AND PRESIDENT OF THE SPECIAL COMMISSION OF INQUIRY INTO THE SYSTEM OF PROSTITUTION, GUY GEOFFROY, BEING INTERVIEWED (SOUNDBITE) (French) MEMBER
  • Embargoed: 13th December 2013 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: France
  • Country: France
  • Topics: Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA6KZT75NEI6B7E7K8Y56NHLWR1
  • Story Text: French members of parliament are this week set to consider a bill which would see changes to anti-prostitution laws, a campaign pledge made by President Francois Hollande which has since sparked a lively debate and a series of street protests.
    The bill envisages a repeal of a law banning soliciting, but proposes a fine of 1,500 euros for those visiting prostitutes, rising to 3,000 euros for a repeat offence.
    It also sets out to improve protection for prostitutes, easing access to residence permits and to housing and financial support.
    Guy Geoffroy is the president of the special commission of inquiry into prostitution and he told Reuters TV on Wednesday (November 27) that a law focussing on the client and not the sex worker gets to the heart of a historic problem.

    "Without the client, there is no prostitution ring, there is no ring surrounding the trafficking of human beings. That's the fight we're having. It's not about "I'm looking for a criminal, and I've found him it's the client and now I'm going to stigmatise him." There's no intention to stigmatise anyone. There is one goal, only one, and that is to drive back prostitution in our country because prostitution is the domination of one being over another through the use of money and moreover it has become for many years a manifestation of the scandal of the trafficking of human beings," he said.
    According to a report by Socialist member of parliament (MP) Maud Olivier, there are some 20,000 people in France who engage in prostitution, of whom 85 percent are women but the measures contained in the bill have divided both the political classes and sex workers themselves.
    Ecologist MP Barbara Pompili said on Wednesday she did not believe the bill would do much to help vulnerable prostitutes themselves, saying it was likely to push them even further into the shadows.

    "Even if we concentrate on these people who are living a life of slavery, does sanctioning the clients resolve their problems? No, because you risk driving them even further underground, putting them even more at the mercy of their clients, they're more likely to meet them over the internet, so not to be able to evaluate the people, so this law, this measure doesn't solve anything," she said.
    There is dissent amongst France's ruling Socialists but party spokesman have indicated that, though such societal questions are particularly divisive, he expects the large majority of Socialist MPs to back the measure.
    The debate was due to begin on Wednesday but has since been pushed back to later in the week with a preliminary vote due on December 4.
    A certain number of prostitute organisations insist they should be free to have control over their body and certain NGOs including Act Up say that the law as it is would make things worse for sex workers.
    According to a TNS Sofres survey published at the end of October, only 22 percent of French people are in favour of the introduction of the fine.
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