Should the government criminalise the buying of sex? Richard Scorer reports
Harriet Harman QC, leader of the House of Commons, says the government is considering changing the law on prostitution to make the buying of sexual services a criminal offence. The government’s aim is to counter the growth in trafficking of women and children into the for sexual exploitation.
Harman’s proposal is modelled on legislation in in 1999 which criminalised the buying of sex and decriminalised the selling of it. The principle underlying this legislation is explained by the Swedish government: “In prostitution is regarded as an aspect of violence against women and children…gender inequality will remain unattainable so long as men buy, sell and exploit women and children by prostituting them.” The Swedish law provides for prison sentences of up to six months for the buyers of sexual services, six years for pimps and 10 years for traffickers of prostitutes.
“Banning prostitution would simply drive it underground, putting prostitutes at greater risk of assault and exploitation”
CURRENT LAWS
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