France's Parliament To Debate Abolishing Prostitution

France's Parliament to debate abolishing prostitution - Dec 06,2011

France has been committed to abolishing the practice in principle since 1960.Banning prostitution by cracking down on the people who buy sex is a resolution to be debated in the Parliament despite protests from France's sex workers' trade union.

Danielle Bousquet, the Socialist MP leading the drive for abolition says that the new bill would punish any client who visits one of the estimated 20,000 prostitutes in France with a six-month prison sentence and a fine of 3,000 euros (£2,580; $4,000).The National Assembly(Parliament) will vote on a symbolic resolution drafted by a cross-party commission which, if successful, will be followed by a bill in January2012.

Guy Geoffroy, an MP from the Ruling UMP Party says France's political parties had reached a consensus on the issue because it was a matter of "republican ethics".


Existing French Laws on Prostitution -

• Prostitution is only liable for prosecution when it troubles public order.

• A client faces prosecution only if the prostitute is under-age or "particularly vulnerable" because of illness etc

• Pimping is punishable with a prison sentence of up to seven years.