Laws by Country - Prostitution

Country Legal Status of Related Information
Population: Prostitution, Brothel

July 2009 Estimate* Ownership, and Pimping
1. Afghanistan Prostitution: Illegal "Afghanistan's sex industry is

booming, according to both private
Population: 33,609,937 Brothel Ownership:
and official sources. Statistics are
Illegal
scattered, and few solid figures
Pimping: Illegal exist. But since the fall of the
Taliban regime in late 2001,
prostitution has become, if not
more widespread, at least more
open...
The Taliban strictly controlled
sexual activity, meting out harsh
punishments for extra-marital
relations and adultery. Married
women who had sex outside
marriage were stoned to death.
Others were publicly flogged.
Sex outside marriage remains
illegal in post-Taliban Afghanistan,
and the prisons are full of women
who have been convicted of
'fornication,' a charge that carries a
penalty of from five to 15 years in
jail."
Sayid Yaqub Ibrahimi,
"Prostitution Thrives in
Afghanistan," Middle East Times,
Jan. 18, 2008
2. Albania Prostitution: Illegal "The law prohibits prostitution;

however, it remained a problem...
Illegal The country was a source country
for trafficking of women and
Pimping: Illegal
children for the purposes of
commercial sexual exploitation and
forced labor, although there has
been a slow but steady decline in
the number of persons trafficked
each year. Greece is the main
country of destination for
trafficked women. Italy,
Macedonia, and Kosovo were also
destinations, with many victims
trafficked onward to Western
Europe. Traffickers largely used
overland routes or falsified
documents to transport their
victims by airplane or ferry. Police
and shelter representatives
continued to report a trend of
traffickers moving females from
villages and smaller towns to larger
cities for forced prostitution in
hotels and private homes."
US Department of State Bureau of
Democracy, Human Rights, and
Labor, "2008 Human Rights
Report: Albania," www.state.gov,
Feb. 25, 2009
3. Angola Prostitution: Illegal "Prostitution is illegal, but the

prohibition was not consistently
Population 12,799,293 Brothel Ownership:
enforced. Many women engaged in
Illegal
prostitution due to poverty, but
Pimping: Illegal there were no estimates on its
prevalence. The MINFAMU
[Ministry of Family and the
Promotion of Women] maintained
a women's shelter in Luanda that
was open to former prostitutes...
Child prostitution is illegal;
however, local NGOs expressed
concern over child prostitution in
the country, especially in Luanda
and Cunene provinces..."
Report: Angola," www.state.gov,
Feb. 25, 2009
4. Antigua and Prostitution: Illegal "Prostitution is prohibited, but it

Barbuda remained a problem. There were a
Brothel Ownership:
number of brothels that catered
Population: 85,632 Illegal
primarily to the local population...
Pimping: Illegal
Sexual Offences Act, There are no laws that specifically
1995 (213 KB) address trafficking in persons, and
there were occasional reports of
trafficking in women to the
country. There were a number of
brothels, which were staffed mostly
by women from various Caribbean
countries who traveled to the
country as 'entertainers' or
'dancers.' In some cases brothel
owners reportedly retained their
documents to exert influence over
the victims. However, authorities
usually deported the women
immediately, before information
on possible trafficking could be
obtained.
There were two known cases
during the year in which persons
were trafficked to the country to
work in local brothels. Authorities
deported one victim and the other
voluntarily returned to her home
country with the support of the
Bureau of Gender Affairs. In
neither case were charges brought
against the brothel owners."
Report: Angola," www.state.gov,
Feb. 25, 2009
5. Argentina Prostitution: Legal "...[P]rostitutes throughout

Article 19 of the Constitution Argentina are casting off police
Population: 40,913,584
states, "The private actions of persecution and demanding the
Cdigo Penal de la people that do not offend in same rights as other workers. They
Nacin Argentina - any way the public order and have formed the Association of
Ttulo III: Delitos morality, nor damage a third Women Prostitutes of Argentina,
Contra La Integridad person, are only reserved to or Ammar - the word amar means
Sexual (77 KB) God, and are exempt from to love in Spanish - ... and have set
the authority of the their sights even higher. In the
magistrates." coming months, the nine-year-old
organisation plans its boldest step
Brothel Ownership:
yet: to demand government
Illegal
recognition as an official union. It
Pimping: Illegal
would be the first such union in
It is illegal to solicit, to aid or
Latin America and one of only a
abet a prostitute, or live off
handful in the world.
their earnings.
...1,700 Argentine prostitutes [are]
now registered as members of
Ammar, whose leaders say
government recognition would give
the organisation the legal standing
to fight for the decriminalisation of
prostitution. Technically,
prostitution is not illegal in
Argentina but most provinces have
laws allowing the arrest of
prostitutes for causing 'scandal in
the public thoroughfare'.
...Pimping is illegal but brothel
owners are rarely sent to jail.
Instead, they form shady business
alliances with the police, who
collect regular rake-offs."
Reed Lindsay, "Argentina's
Prostitutes Get Militant,"
Observer, Jan. 25, 2004
6. Armenia Prostitution: Legal "Prostitution and sex tourism are

legal, but operating a brothel is
prohibited and engaging in other
Illegal
Criminal Code of the forms of pimping are punishable by
Republic of Armenia Pimping: Illegal one to 10 years' imprisonment.
(39 KB) According to media reports, there
were fewer than 5,000 women
involved in prostitution in the
country, approximately 1,500 of
whom were in Yerevan. Police and
other security forces reportedly
tolerated prostitution...
The country is a source and transit
point for women and girls
trafficked primarily for sexual and,
to a lesser extent, labor
exploitation to the United Arab
Emirates and Turkey...
Traffickers, using developed
networks in source and destination
countries, typically recruited
victims who were already engaged
in prostitution. The majority, but
not all, of the identified victims
were aware that they would end up
in the sex industry in other
countries; however, they were
unaware of the traffickers' intent or
the exploitative circumstances they
would face abroad...
Women engaged in prostitution,
orphans who had outgrown their
institutions, homeless or divorced
women, and women in difficult
financial situations were at greatest
risk of being trafficked. There were
some reported incidents of physical
violence against trafficking
victims."
Report: Armenia," www.state.gov,
Feb. 25, 2009
7. Australia Prostitution: Limited "Foreign backpackers visiting

Legality Queensland have been earning
The law varies depending on money as illegal prostitutes and
Queensland the state from decriminalized damaging legitimate operators, the
Prostitution Licensing to legally regulated to legal brothel industry has claimed.
Authority (PLA) criminal. Click on the PLA Queensland Adult Business
Summary of Laws (54 Summary on the left to see a Association Nick Inskip said the
KB) description of each state. illegal sex industry was
undermining efforts by the legal
Brothel Ownership:
industry to make a profit and
Limited Legality
uphold health and safety
4 states permit brothels, 1
standards.... 'They can charge less
allows as part of a
because they are not paying GST,
containment policy, and 3
staff costs for managers and
prohibit.
receptionists, or have a registered
Pimping: Limited business name,' Mr Inskip said.
Legality
...One solution could be allowing
legal brothels to operate outcall
services, he said. But the proposal
has previously been rejected by the
Crime and Misconduct
Commission and the state
government. Queensland currently
has 23 legal brothels operating in
city and regional areas. Police
figures show the number of
prostitution offences reported in
Queensland increased from 362 to
600 in 2005-06."
"Backpackers Work as Prostitutes,
Says Industry," Sydney Morning
Herald, Jan. 30, 2007
8. Austria Prostitution: Legal "A former Olympic figure skating

Legal since Jan. 1, 1975. Laws gold medalist was sentenced to 18
regulating prostitution months in prison Friday after being
require prostitutes to convicted of involvement in a gang
register, undergo periodic that smuggled women from
health examinations, be 19 Eastern Europe to Austria for
years old or older, and pay forced prostitution.
taxes.
Wolfgang Schwarz, who won the
Brothel Ownership: gold for men's figure skating at the
Illegal 1968 Winter Olympics, was
arrested in Vienna last March.
Pimping: Illegal
Police charged him with procuring
visas for seven young women who
were smuggled into the country to
work in brothels....
Judge Anton Baumgartner
sentenced him to 18 months in
prison, but Schwarz's attorney has
three days to consider whether to
file a formal objection to the
sentence before it will take effect,
the Austria Press Agency reported.
'Signals must be sent that slave
trade is forbidden, Baumgartner
said in his ruling.
Investigators said the gang was
involved in recruiting women from
Belarus, Russia, Ukraine, Lithuania
and other eastern countries to
Austria by promising them
lucrative jobs. Upon their arrival,
they were brought to brothels in
the Austrian cities of Vienna, Graz
and Salzburg, and their passports
were confiscated, police said."
"Ex-Olympian Jailed for Human
Trafficking," Associated Press (AP),
Dec. 6, 2002
9. Bahamas Prostitution: Illegal "Prostitution is illegal and was not

a widespread problem. There are
Population: 309,156 Brothel Ownership:
no laws specifically addressing sex
Illegal
tourism. Police officials
Pimping: Illegal acknowledged that sex
entertainment was a developing
industry but did not consider sex
tourism a problem...
On November 26, parliament
passed legislation specifically
addressing trafficking in persons
for the first time. The law also
prohibits prostitution and the
procurement of persons for
purposes of prostitution either in
or outside the country by force,
threats, intimidation, or the
administering of drugs. The
maximum penalty for trafficking in
persons is life imprisonment."
Report: Bahamas," www.state.gov,
Feb. 25, 2009
10. Bangladesh Prostitution: Limited "Female prostitution was legal.

Legality Male prostitution was illegal,
Population:
Female prostitution with although local NGOs claimed it was
156,050,883
minimum age 18 is legal. common in the major cities. The
Male prostitution is illegal. authorities generally ignored the
minimum age of 18, often
Brothel Ownership:
circumvented by false statements
Legal
of age, for legal female prostitution.
Pimping: Legal The government rarely prosecuted
procurers of minors, and large
numbers of underage girls in
prostitution worked in brothels.
Local NGOs estimated the total
number of female prostitutes was
as many as 100,000. The UN
Children's Fund (UNICEF)
estimated in 2004 that there were
10,000 underage girls used in
commercial sexual exploitation in
the country, but other estimates
placed the figure as high as 29,000.
Trafficking of women internally
and internationally remained a
problem...
As many as 10,000 children were
used in brothels for commercial
sexual exploitation, and procurers
of minors were rarely prosecuted.
Government corruption greatly
facilitated the process of
trafficking. Police and local
government officials often ignored
trafficking in women and children
for commercial sexual exploitation
and were easily bribed by brothel
owners and pimps."
Report: Bangladesh,"
www.state.gov, Feb. 25, 2009
11. Barbados Prostitution: Illegal "Prostitution is illegal, but it

remained a problem, fueled by
poverty and tourism. A number of
Illegal
brothels with women from Guyana,
Pimping: Illegal the Dominican Republic, and other
Caribbean islands operated in the
country. The police and
immigration officers periodically
raided brothels and deported
women found working illegally.
There is no statute specifically
prohibiting sexual tourism and no
statistics on it, but anecdotal
evidence suggested that it
occurred...
The constitution and laws do not
specifically prohibit trafficking in
persons, although laws against
slavery, forced labor, or other
crimes could be applied. A law
prohibiting the procurement of
persons for sex, which carries a 15-
year sentence, could be used to
prosecute that type of trafficking
cases. There were limited reports
that persons were trafficked to the
country, both to work as
prostitutes and as domestic
workers or in the construction and
garment industries."
Report: Barbados," www.state.gov,
Feb. 25, 2009
12. Belgium Prostitution: Legal "As the 9 a.m. shift began at Villa
Tinto, which calls itself Europe's
most high-tech brothel, prostitute
Legal
Andrea Maes put on her leather
Pimping: Illegal boots, pressed her finger on a
biometric scanner and started
posing for potential clients in her
neon-lit display window. After
matching her fingerprint with the
one in its database, the brothel's
system clocked her in and flashed
her ID number -- A9018 -- to a
control room manned by a fellow
prostitute. It also switched on the
lights in her designer-furnished
room -- more boutique hotel than
bordello....
Villa Tinto, House of Pleasure, is a
pioneering example of a widening
European drive to legalize
prostitution, while combating the
crime and violence it fosters --
including the explosion in human
trafficking in recent years. The
brothel opened in January, with
the help of the Antwerp city
council, the police and the
prostitutes themselves as part of a
'tolerance zone,' begun in 2001.
The Belgian government views the
three-block area as a test case as it
considers national legalization -- a
move to wrest prostitution from
the control of organized criminals
and bring in some lost tax
revenue."
Dan Bilefsky, "Belgian Experiment:
Make Prostitution Legal To Fight
Its Ills," Wall Street Journal, May
26, 2005
13. Belize Prostitution: Legal "The law does not explicitly

address adult prostitution, and the
government did not use law
Illegal
enforcement resources to combat
Pimping: Illegal prostitution. Loitering for the
purposes of prostitution, operating
a brothel, and soliciting sex are
illegal...
There were no reliable estimates of
the extent of trafficking. However,
the Ministry of Foreign Affairs,
working with the Ministry of
Human Development, indicated 70
victims of trafficking in persons
were identified through year's end.
Sixty-five of the victims comprised
one trafficking case. There were
reports that women were trafficked
to the country from neighboring
countries such as Guatemala,
Honduras, and El Salvador,
primarily for prostitution and nude
dancing. NGOs reported that
persons in the commercial sex
trade appeared to be in the country
(and in their current occupation)
by choice, usually at the suggestion
of a friend or family member who
was also engaged in commercial
sex work. Victims generally lived in
squalid conditions in the bars
where they worked. Some bar
owners reportedly confiscated
victims' passports."
Report: Belize," www.state.gov,
Feb. 25, 2009
14. Bolivia Prostitution: Legal "As of Wednesday morning,

Bolivia's 'night workers' are on
strike. Up to 35,000 prostitutes
Illegal
across the country have refused to
Pimping: Illegal report for the medical checkups
required every 20 days to legally
work the streets...
It comes in response to attacks in
the city of El Alto last week in
which citizens burned brothels and
beat sex workers in protest against
legal prostitution... The rampage
began after citizens demanded that
brothels and bars be located at
least 3,200 feet away from schools.
Within 48 hours, angry mobs had
taken matters into their own
hands, burning more than 30
establishments...
The municipal government
responded by closing all brothels
within 1,600 feet of schools, but
took no action against those who
had attacked the prostitutes... The
latest violence against Bolivia's sex
workers is not surprising. Although
the Supreme Court in 2001
legalized prostitution, which is
widely practiced nationwide, the
oldest profession has not gained
the relative social acceptance it
enjoys in some European
countries. Instead, women and
men in the sex industry have
become scapegoats for everything
from broken homes to the rising
HIV-infection rate."
Jean Friedman-Rudovsky,
"Prostitutes Strike in Bolivia,"
TIME magazine, Oct. 24, 2007
15. Brazil Prostitution: Legal "[R]ather than comply with an

There are no regulations for American demand that all foreign
Population:
adult prostitution. recipients of AIDS assistance must
198,739,269
explicitly condemn prostitution,
Brothel Ownership:
Labor and Employment Brazil has decided to forgo up to
Illegal
Ministry Primer on Sex $40 million in American support....
Professional (9 KB) Pimping: Illegal
'Our feeling was that the manner in
which the Usaid [sic] funds were
consigned would bring harm to our
program from the point of view of
its scientific credibility, its ethical
values and its social commitment,'
Pedro Chequer, director of the
Brazilian government's AIDS
program, said... 'We must remain
faithful to the established
principles of the scientific method
and not allow theological beliefs
and dogma to interfere.'...
Mark Dybul, deputy coordinator
and chief medical officer for the
Bush administration's global AIDS
initiative,... says the prostitution
controversy is not only overblown,
but is also an example of the many
misconceptions about U.S. policy.
'On the ground, this isn't an
issue,'... 'Part of a compassionate
response involves meeting people
where they are and working with
them.' He added, 'Each country has
a sovereign right to make decisions
for themselves, and we respect
that.' But to receive American aid,
he said, 'it does require an
acknowledgment that prostitution
is not a good thing and to be
opposed to it.'"
Larry Rohter, "Prostitution Puts
U.S. and Brazil at Odds on AIDS
Policy," New York Times, July 24,
2005
16. Bulgaria Prostitution: Limited "Prostitution now exists in a legal

Legality gray area in Bulgaria, a small but
Prostitution is not specifically important country for the
Penal Code of Bulgaria addressed in the law. European sex trade. Women are
(451 KB) sent abroad by the thousands each
Brothel Ownership:
year to work as prostitutes, often
Illegal
against their will, and many others
Pimping: Illegal are forced into prostitution within
the countrys borders.
Opponents of legal prostitution
argue that illegal operations
flourish in environments where
paying for sex is permitted, and
that human trafficking follows the
demand. The goal of prohibiting
sex-for-money is to reduce the
demand, and thus curtail
trafficking if not stamp it out
entirely...
While the front-burner issue in
Bulgaria is the export of women
into forced prostitution abroad,
Ms. [Antoaneta]Vassileva of the
antitrafficking commission said
that 45 percent of trafficking takes
place within the country, often
from poor rural villages to the big
cities and resorts along the Black
Sea coast. The countrys chief
prosecutor, Boris Velchev, who was
at the forum, described what he
called a double standard' in the
treatment of those forced into
prostitution abroad and attitudes
toward those domestically, who he
said receive less attention and are
more likely to be blamed than
treated as victims."
Nicholas Kulish, "Joining Trend,
Bulgaria Won't Allow Prostitution,"
New York Times, Oct. 6, 2007
17. Cambodia Prostitution: Illegal "The constitution prohibits

prostitution; however, there is no
specific legislation against working
Illegal
as a prostitute. Trafficking in
Pimping: Illegal women for the purpose of
prostitution was a serious problem,
despite laws against procuring and
kidnapping for purposes of sexual
exploitation. There were reports
that police abused prostitutes.
Despite increased crackdowns on
brothel operators in Phnom Penh,
prostitution and related trafficking
persisted. Estimates of the number
of working prostitutes ranged from
14,725 to 18,250. Sex tourism was a
problem, fueled by pervasive
poverty and the perception of
impunity."
Report: Cambodia," www.state.gov,
Feb. 25, 2009
18. Canada Prostitution: Legal "The Supreme Court of Canada has

struck down the country's anti-
Brothel Ownership: prostitution laws in a unanimous
Criminal Code of Legal* decision, and given Parliament one
Canada* (9 KB) year to come up with new
Pimping: Legal*
legislation should it choose to do
so.
In striking down laws prohibiting
brothels, living on the avails of
prostitution and communicating in
public with clients, the top court
ruled Friday that the laws were
over-broad and 'grossly
*Laws against brothel disproportionate.'
ownership and pimping have
'Parliament has the power to
been overturned by the
regulate against nuisances, but not
Supreme Court of Canada, at the cost of the health, safety and
with the decision set to go lives of prostitutes,' wrote Chief
into effect in Dec. 2014. Justice Beverley McLachlin in the
9-0 decision that noted 'it is not a
crime in Canada to sell sex for
money.'"
"Supreme Court Strikes Down
Canada's Prostitution Laws,"
cbc.ca, Dec. 20, 2013
19. Chile Prostitution: Legal "President Michelle Bachelet

accepted Friday the resignation of
the director of Chiles PDI
Illegal
investigative police, Arturo
Pimping: Illegal Herrera, amid a scandal over
allegations that members of his
force aided and abetted a
prostitution ring which exploited
underage girls...
Though the prostitution ring was
broken up in the autumn of 2007,
the uproar over possible police
misconduct began just weeks ago
with the airing of a television
documentary about the operation
run by pimp Carlos Parra Ruis,
known as 'Charly.'
...The documentary said that

several police detectives were
regular customers at the two
brothels run by Charly: the Hotel
Louisiana and the Cabaret
Pandemonium, both in Valparaiso.
Those detectives were allegedly

protecting Charlys operation,
taking payment in the form of
sessions with drugged girls.
Some of the girls also said they

were taken to the police barracks to
have sex with officers.
While the prostitution ring was

eventually broken up by PDI
officers from the Santiago division
assigned to Valparaiso, Channel 13
said that neither police leadership
nor prosecutors were willing to
investigate the charges about cops
collusion with Charly."
"Chilean Police Chief Booted Amid
Prostitution Scandal," Latin
American Herald Tribune, June
27, 2009
20. China (including Prostitution: Illegal "In the biggest bust of prostitution
Taiwan) Defined as a social practice related crimes in recent years,
that abrogates the inherent Beijing police last week arrested 38
Population:
rights of women to prostitutes, 63 Internet
1,338,612,968
personhood. technicians, five gang leaders, an
Penal Code of China - unlicensed medical worker, along
(Taiwan, a disputed province
Part Two, Chapter Six, with 45 of the prostitutes' clients.
of China, legalized
Section Eight: Crimes of The gang attracted clients for the
prostitution on June 24,
Organizing, Forcing, prostitutes by randomly sending
2009.)
Luring, Sheltering, or countless messages to Internet
Procuring other Brothel Ownership: users who were logged on to major
Persons to Engage in Illegal chat rooms, forums, or through
Prostitution (in instant messages. Police say the
Pimping: Illegal
Chinese) (158 KB) gang sent more than seven million
messages to Internet users in the
past month alone. The only job of
most of the gang members was to
send the soliciting messages from
Internet bars.
A reporter with the Beijing Daily
says he received 32 on-line
solicitations for the services of a
prostitute in just a half an hour.
Many messages purported to be
from available young, female
college students. Other messages
directed people to blogs that
contained nude pictures of women.
In all the messages phone numbers
were left where clients could make
contact with a prostitute. Police say
the youngest prostitute they
arrested was just 15 years old and
one of the gang members,
surnamed Zhao, treated the
prostitutes for venereal disease and
provide [sic] them with condoms.
The Beijing Daily reports that
organized messaging for
prostitution services remains
rampant in online chat rooms."
"Beijing Police Crack Biggest
Internet Prostitution Gang,"
Xinhua, Jan. 21, 2007
21. Colombia Prostitution: Legal "Adult prostitution is legal in

designated 'tolerance zones,' but
enforcement of, and restriction to,
Legal
Cdigo Penal the zones remained difficult.
Colombiano -Parte 8, Pimping: Illegal Prostitution was widespread and
Captulo IV: Del exacerbated by poverty and
Proxenetismo (58 KB) internal displacement. Sex tourism
existed to a limited extent,
particularly in coastal cities such as
Cartagena and Barranquilla, where
marriage and dating services were
often fronts for sexual tourism. The
law prohibits organizing or
facilitating sexual tourism and
provides penalties of three to eight
years' imprisonment. Trafficking in
women for sexual exploitation
continued to be a problem."
Report: Colombia," www.state.gov,
Feb. 25, 2009
22. Costa Rica Prostitution: Legal "Costa Rica can be hard. And it can
Must be over 18 years old and be easy. It can be perturbing and
carry a health card showing paradisiacal. It can be restrictive:
how recently they had a No nudity on the beach. And it can
medical check-up. be permissive: Prostitution is legal.
The country has a split personality
Brothel Ownership:
and the ironies make the 'rich
Legal
coast' even richer."
Pimping: Illegal
Linton Weeks, "On the Edge in
Costa Rica," Washington Post, Oct.
24, 2004
23. Croatia Prostitution: Illegal "Prostitution is illegal but
widespread and generally
punishable by fines. Women's
Illegal
organizations claimed that
Pimping: Illegal prostitutes faced abuse,
stigmatization, and public
humiliation. There were reports
that women were trafficked for
commercial sexual exploitation...
The country is mainly a transit
country for women and girls
trafficked from countries in
Eastern Europe and the Balkans to
other parts of Europe for
prostitution and labor exploitation.
The country was also a source and
destination country for trafficked
women. In December the
government reported that seven
trafficking victims were identified
during the year; three victims were
Croatians, three were Bosnians,
and one was Serbian. Four of the
victims were men trafficked for
purposes of labor exploitation, one
was a woman also trafficked for
purposes of labor exploitation,
while three of the victims were
women trafficked for sexual
exploitation."
Report: Croatia," www.state.gov,
Feb. 25, 2009
24. Cuba Prostitution: Illegal "'One day when I was down in

Brazil, an Argentinian asked me 'Is
it true that some girls who are
Illegal
university graduates sometimes
Pimping: Illegal practice prostitution?' [Fidel]
Castro said in a rare public
reference to a highly sensitive
subject for Cuba's government. 'I
replied instantly, without thinking,
'That proves prostitutes in Cuba
have a university level,'' he added,
laughing at the anecdote given
during a lengthy speech to close a
Cuban workers' congress in
Havana.
The comment underlined both
Castro's pride in his government's
widely praised education system,
and his concern for the re-
emergence of a prostitution
problem he thought his socialist
system had eradicated decades ago.
Once known as 'the brothel of the
Caribbean' due to its reputation as
a haven for rich Americans looking
for sex, gambling and a swinging
nightlife, Cuba drastically cleaned
up society after Castro's 1959
revolution. But the problem came
back at the start of the 1990s
against a backdrop of increased
economic hardship for locals, and
an opening to tourism which
brought foreigners flooding back."
"Castro Comments on Cuban
Prostitution," Reuters, May 1, 2001
25. Cyprus Prostitution: Legal "Sun-baked Cyprus is the sordid

scene of a flourishing trade in
young foreign women who are
Illegal
often reduced to sexual slavery,
Pimping: Illegal according to non-governmental
groups meeting in Nicosia on
Friday...
'Cyprus is a destination country for
victims of trafficking, especially for
sexual exploitation,' said Rita
Superman, head of the anti-
trafficking unit of the Cyprus
police. 'The countries of origin of
the victims are traditionally
countries of Eastern Europe, such
as Moldova and Ukraine. The
pattern though is changing lately,
since a lot of victims come from
developing countries such as the
Philippines, Latin America,
Morocco and Syria,' Superman
said...
This year alone, Cypriot police have
identified 54 victims of sexual
exploitation, including 11 on whom
force was used to make them work.
For the third year in a row, Cyprus
is included on a US state
department list of countries where
trafficking in women is a concern."
Agence France-Presse (AFP),
"Sexual Slavery of Young Foreign
Women Rife in Cyprus,"
AsiaOne.com, Nov. 21, 2008
26. Czech Republic Prostitution: Legal "The red lights are going out across
Europe as prostitution falls victim
to the credit crunch... In the Czech
Illegal
Republic, where prostitution
Pimping: Illegal operates in a legal grey zone but is
largely tolerated, the sex industry is
big business, generating $A760
million, much of it from British
visitors, according to Mag
Consulting, a tourism research
company in Prague that studies the
sex industry.
Jaromir Beranek, the director of
Mag, said that when Germany and
Britain, the two countries that send
the most tourists to Prague, began
to stagnate, sex tourism was
affected too. Brothels have started
laying off working girls while the
shutters go up on the larger
bordellos.
Near the border with Germany,
many towns long blighted by a
daily influx of sex tourists are
pleased at the decline in business.
A few years ago, the small Czech
town of Dubi was so overrun by
prostitution an orphanage was
opened to provide refuge for
dozens of unwanted babies of
prostitutes and their German
clients.
Sex could be bought for as little as
3.50 ($7.90). Now 40 brothels in
town have shrunk to just four
the others have turned into golf
shops or goulash restaurants."
Allan Hall, "Flaccid Economies
Lead to Lay-Offs in Europe's
Brothels," The Age, Dec. 11, 2008
27. Denmark Prostitution: Legal "Torben Hansen, who has cerebral

The act of prostitution was palsy, which severely affects his
legalized March 17, 1999. speech and mobility, believes his
Danish Penal Code (4 local authority should pay the extra
Brothel Ownership:
KB) charge he incurs when he hires a
Illegal
sex worker - because his disability
Pimping: Illegal means he cannot go to see them.
His case is currently being
considered.
...In Denmark, local authorities
compensate disabled people for
extra costs incurred because of
their disability....In Denmark,
prostitution and other forms of sex
work are not illegal so long as it is
not a woman's sole means of
income.... 'It's unfair to deny
people with disabilities the right to
a sex life,' he [Hansen] added.
Kristen Brosboel, a Social
Democrat member of the Danish
Parliament, is among those who
have argued against Mr Hansen.
'We also spend tax money on trying
to prevent prostitution, helping
women out of prostitution - and we
have a clear policy that this is a
social problem that we want to
solve.... So I think that's very much
in contradiction with spending tax
money on requiring prostitutes."
"Dane Fights For State-funded
Sex," BBC News, Oct. 5, 2005
28. Dominica Prostitution: Illegal "Prostitution is illegal but was a

problem. There were anecdotal
reports of trafficking in persons for
Illegal
Sexual Offences of 1998 commercial sexual exploitation...
(576 KB) Pimping: Illegal
The DNCW [Dominica National
Council of Women] and other
activists believed that there may be
some trafficking of women for
prostitution, but acknowledged it
was hard to prove as most of the
women in the sex trade were afraid
to come forward, fearing
deportation. An NGO that
interviewed commercial sex
workers as part of an HIV/AIDS
awareness campaign found that
most appeared to have entered the
country for economic reasons and
began working in prostitution
thereafter."
Report: Dominica," www.state.gov,
Feb. 25, 2009
29. Dominican Prostitution: Legal "Prostitution is legal, although

Republic there are some prohibitions against
Brothel Ownership:
sex with minors, and it is illegal for
Population: 9,650,054 Illegal
a third party to derive financial
Cdigo Penal de La Pimping: Illegal gain from prostitution. However,
Repblica Dominicana the government usually did not
(607 KB) enforce prostitution laws. Sex
tourism remained a serious
problem, particularly in Las
Terrenas, Cabarete, Sosua, and
Boca Chica. Human rights groups
reported continuing prostitution in
sugarcane work camps and areas
outside the capital. NGOs
conducted programs about
prostitution and child sexual
exploitation for hotel and
industrial zone workers, male and
female prostitutes, and other high-
risk groups."
Report: Dominican Republic,"
30. Ecuador Prostitution: Legal "Prostitution is legal for persons

over the age of 18 so long as the
Population: 14,573,101 Brothel Onwership:
businesses are registered with the
Legal
government and follow health
Pimping: Legal regulations. Trafficking in persons
for prostitution was a problem...
Traffickers were organized criminal
gangs specializing in movement of
persons, proprietors of small
businesses such as bars or brothels,
or illicit employment brokers.
Accounts indicated that traffickers'
recruitment modalities varied
depending on the type of
exploitation. In the case of sexual
exploitation, victims were lured
romantically or with promises of
legitimate employment and then
forced into prostitution. Recruiters
for forced labor and begging
included business owners in and
outside the country. These
traffickers offered parents
education and work opportunities
for their young children and then
forced victims into trafficking
situations, including prostitution
domestically and in Colombia,
Venezuela, and the Dominican
Republic."
Report: Ecuador," www.state.gov,
Feb. 25, 2009
31. Egypt Prostitution: Illegal Egyptian law bans both

It has been illegal since 1949. prostitution and the marriage of
The man is considered a girls under 16. 'Minors in
witness and is exempt of prostitution are sent to a sort of
punishment for testifying corrective centre, where conditions
against the prostitute. The are often as bad if not worse than
penalty for prostitutes is 3-36 they are in adult prisons,' said
months in prison and/or a Nihad Abul Qumsan, director of
fine. the Egyptian Centre for Women's
Rights. 'The man involved is not
Brothel Ownership:
usually prosecuted, but rather acts
Illegal
as a witness in a trial.'"
Pimping: Illegal
"Minors Sold For Prostitution
Under Guise of Marriage,"
Integrated Regional Information
Networks (IRIN), Nov. 16, 2006
32. El Salvador Prostitution: Legal "Although prostitution is legal, the

law prohibits inducing, facilitating,
promoting, giving incentives to a
Legal
Cdigo Penal person to work as a prostitute, or
Salvadoreo (536 KB) Pimping: Illegal paying anyone under the age of 18
for sexual services. Prostitution
remained common, and there were
credible reports that some women
and girls were forced into
prostitution.
Trafficking in women and girls for
purposes of sexual exploitation was
a problem. The attorney general
reported that it had investigated
approximately 80 cases of sexual
exploitation."
Report: El Salvador,"
33. Estonia Prostitution: Legal "...[T]he Minister of Justice Rein

Lang of the liberal Estonian
Reform Party and the Minister of
Illegal
Social Affairs Jaak Aab of the
Estonian Penal Code Pimping: Illegal
Estonian Centre Party, have
(423 KB)
expressed their support for the ban
on buying sex....
The general opinion in Estonia
does not support the key ministers'
views. According to Helve Kase,
Head of the Department of
Women's Studies for the Estonian
Institute for Open Society
Research, the prostitutes are
generally not viewed as victims....
According to the most recent
survey from 2003, almost a third of
Estonians supported punishing the
prostitutes' clients. Nearly half of
the women were in favour of
penalizing the prostitutes. More
than half of the respondents gave
their support to the existing
system, which forbids pimping."
"Estonia Also Considering
Criminalisation of Purchase of
Sex," Helsingin Sanomat, Sep. 1,
2006
34. Ethiopia Prostitution: Legal "Everyday about 10,000 people

pass through the cross-country bus
station in the Ethiopian capital to
Illegal
visit relatives, do business or
Pimping: Illegal simply search for a better life.
According to a recent survey
carried out in Addis Ababa, child
prostitution is on the rise. The
report found that partly because of
poverty an increasing number of
girls come to the city to become sex
workers."
Damian Zane, "Ethiopian Girls
Driven To Prostitution," BBC
News, May 27, 2003
35. Finland Prostitution: Legal "The sex trade exploded onto the
Selling and purchasing sex in Finnish scene in the years of the
public is illegal. Purchasing recession of the 1990s. Helsinki
sex from a victim of had about a dozen erotic
The Penal Code of
trafficking is also illegal. restaurants, and personals ads
Finland (349 KB)
offering company for 'daytime
Brothel Ownership:
coffee'. Some even wanted to hire
Illegal
topless barbers.
Pimping: Illegal
In the early years of this decade
there was intense debate in Finland
on whether or not to make buying
sex services a crime... Currently the
purchase of sex services in Finland
is illegal only in public places.
Buying sex is also banned if the
trade involves procurement or
human trafficking, or if the
provider of the service is below the
legal age.
The National Bureau of
Investigation (NBI) estimates that
about 500 prostitutes ply their
trade in Finland every day...
Nobody knows how many
prostitutes there really are in
Finland. However, there is general
agreement, that about half of the
sex workers who operate regularly
in Finland are Finns, and that a
majority work part time.
Many foreign prostitutes work with
the support, or under the
command of a pimp. The Finns
usually operate independently... As
the street trade is banned, Finnish
red light districts can be found in
cyberspace - on sex pages on the
Internet and in personals ads.
Foreign sex workers also sell their
services in night clubs and Thai
massage parlours. "
Panu Rty, "Anna Kontula Speaks
on Behalf of Sex Workers,"
Helsingin Sanomat, Sep. 7, 2008
36. France Prostitution: Legal "French prostitutes have staged a

Must pay taxes. Laws against protest outside parliament in Paris
soliciting in public places. against a new crime bill which they
say threatens their livelihood.
Criminal Law of France Brothel Ownership:
About 500 women and men, some
(1.1 MB) Illegal
wearing masks and waving
Regulation and legal "houses
banners, took part in the
of tolerance" ended in 1946.
demonstration, which activists said
Pimping: Illegal was part of the profession's biggest
Any form of assistance given protest movement in the city since
toward prostitution or living 1975.... The French Government
off the earnings of plans to place a wide-ranging bill
prostitution can be before parliament which would
considered criminal. include a law making 'passive
soliciting' - touting for sex by any
means, including by use of dress or
posture - a criminal offence.
Prostitutes say the law would
prevent them from earning income
and expose them to dangers from
unscrupulous customers or
pimps.... [French Interior Minister
Nicolas Sarkozy says] the law was
necessary to 'guarantee the security
of the French people.'...
Prostitution is legal in France and
at the moment the country's
estimated 18,000 prostitutes can
only be fined if their activities
disturb the peace. But under the
proposed law, prostitutes could
face six months in prison or a fine
of up to $7,500 if convicted under
the law."
"French Prostitutes Rage Against
Crime Bill," BBC News, Nov. 5,
2002
37. Germany Prostitution: Legal "An estimated 400,000 prostitutes

Legalized in 1927. work in Germany, and 1.2 million
customers are said to use their
[Editor's Note: The date of
Measures and Acts on services daily. Revenues are
the legalization of
equal opportunities estimated at 6 billion euros every
prostitution in Germany is
since 1949 (7 KB) year - equivalent to those of
disputed. Some consider
companies like Porsche and
prostitution to have been
Adidas.
legalized or decriminalized
since the passage of the 1927 It was mainly to offer prostitutes
Law for Combating Venereal protection from violence and
Diseases. However, others exploitation that two years ago -
consider prostitution was against the opposition of
legalized through the conservative politicians - the
Prostitution Act of January German government legalized
2002 that improved the prostitution. Now, legal contracts
social welfare and legal rights between prostitutes and clients can
of prostitutes. Although be established. The government
prostitution is legal under the withholds a portion of their
German Constitution, prior earnings to pay social benefits like
to the 2002 Prostitution Act, pensions and health insurance and
a series of regulatory laws to guarantee a regular 40-hour-
and court rulings had workweek. Sex workers can now
restricted the legal and social even unionize. When it comes to
welfare rights of prostitutes taxation and regulation of the
because prostitution was industry, legalization has been
considered in violation of beneficial in some places,
Germany's moral code.] advocates say.
Brothel Ownership: ...But when it comes to the goal of
Legal improving conditions for
prostitutes and containing the sex
Pimping: Legal
trade, most experts agree that
Exploitative behavior
legalizing prostitution has not
considered criminal.
succeeded. 'When it was set up
there was much talk of securing
proper contracts, proper health
insurance, but a lot of this hasn't
materialized because of big holes in
the legislation,' says Marion Detlefs
of the Hydra prostitute advice
center in Berlin. Across the
country, no more than a dozen
contracts have been signed.
Prostitutes, who often have to
share their income with brothel
owners and other parties, are
reluctant to pay taxes....
[A]dvocates for prostitutes
complain that - despite the
national law - prostitution is still
treated differently in each region,
giving each city the right to ban
prostitution in certain areas."
Isabelle de Pommereau,
"Rethinking a Legal Sex Trade,"
Christian Science Monitor, May 11,
2005
38. Greece Prostitution: Legal "Greece, whose ancient civilisation
Prostitutes must be at least introduced the world to high class
21, register, and have health prostitutes in the sixth century BC,
checks every 2 weeks. has at last decided to salute their
contribution to society.
Brothel Ownership:
Legal Athens has announced that its
economy is 25% bigger than
Pimping: Legal
thought thanks, in part, to the
round-the-clock duties of the
country's prostitutes, who were
known as hetairai in ancient times.
The Greek authorities are revising
the country's gross domestic
product (GDP) after deciding that
the black market should be
included in the figures."
Nicholas Watt, "Greek Economy
Up 25% - With a Little Help From
Prostitutes," Guardian, Sep. 30,
2006
39. Grenada Prostitution: Illegal "Prostitution is illegal but existed...

Population: 90,739 Brothel Ownership: The constitution and law do not
Illegal prohibit trafficking in persons;
however, there were no reports
Pimping: Illegal
that persons were trafficked to,
from, or within the country. In
theory trafficking cases could be
prosecuted under other laws, such
as those prohibiting forced
prostitution, pimping, sexual
abuse, and abuse of a minor."
Report: Grenada," www.state.gov,
Feb. 25, 2009
40. Guatemala Prostitution: Legal "In Guatemala City, a new soccer

team is winning fans -- and it's not
because they are winning games.
Legal
Members of the Stars of the Tracks
Pimping: Illegal team are prostitutes, who hope to
use their growing popularity to call
attention to their collective fight for
a better life."
"Guatemala City's Prostitute Soccer
Team," National Public Radio
(NPR), Jan. 12, 2005
41. Guyana Prostitution: Illegal "Prostitution is illegal but present.

It continued to receive greater
public attention due to the high
Illegal
Laws of Guyana incidence of HIV/AIDS among
Chapter 8:01 Criminal Pimping: Illegal prostitutes...
Offences Act (381 KB)
Government and NGOs reported
only a small number of cases
involving trafficking in persons.
There were some unconfirmed
reports of girls from the interior
(where there was little government
oversight and law enforcement was
lacking) being trafficked for
commercial sex to countries in
South America and the Caribbean.
Most traffickers were believed to be
individual business persons.
The trafficking case against two
women charged in 2006 with
forcing a 12 year old girl into sexual
slavery was dismissed in October
for lack of evidence."
Report: Guyana," www.state.gov,
Feb. 25, 2009
42. Haiti Prostitution: Illegal "Although prostitution is illegal, it

remained a widespread practice,
particularly among women and
Illegal
girls. Local NGOs reported that
Pimping: Illegal police generally ignored
prostitution...
The law does not specifically
prohibit trafficking in persons,
although labor legislation and
other laws, including those
prohibiting and penalizing slavery,
kidnapping, and violence against
women, could be used to combat
human trafficking. There were
reports that persons were
trafficked from, to, through, and
within the country... Women from
the Dominican Republic were
trafficked into the country for
sexual exploitation."
Report: Haiti," www.state.gov, Feb.
25, 2009
43. Honduras Prostitution: Legal "Although adult prostitution is

legal and relatively widespread, the
law prohibits promoting or
Illegal
facilitating for purposes of
Pimping: Illegal prostitution. Women were
trafficked for sexual exploitation
and debt bondage... Trafficking in
children for commercial sexual
exploitation and child prostitution
was a problem...
The country was principally a
source and transit country for
women and children trafficked for
the purpose of commercial sexual
exploitation. Women and children
were trafficked to Belize, El
Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, and
also internally, most often from
rural to urban settings. Most
foreign victims trafficked into
Honduras came from neighboring
countries. During the year the
government returned dozens of
trafficking victims from Mexico
and Guatemala. In the Tegucigalpa
metropolitan area, an estimated
several hundred children were
victims of commercial sexual
exploitation.
Gangs, organized crime, and
human smugglers were reportedly
among the principal traffickers for
purposes of commercial sexual
exploitation. There were reports
that families sold their daughters
for purposes of trafficking. On
February 9, Emilio Fiallos Pina and
his wife Dora Rutilia Sauceda
Fiallos were arrested for allegedly
selling their nine-year-old daughter
to attorney Conrado Zelava
Castellon for sexual exploitation."
Report: Honduras," www.state.gov,
Feb. 25, 2009
44. Hungary Prostitution: Legal "In an effort to bring prostitutes

into the legal economy, officials
said Monday that Hungary will
Illegal
allow sex workers to apply for an
Pimping: Illegal entrepreneur's permit - a move
that could generate government
revenues from an industry worth
an estimated $1 billion annually...
The permits allow prostitutes to
give receipts to customers and
become part of the legal economy
by paying taxes and making social
security contributions, said Agnes
Foldi, head of the Hungarian
Prostitutes' Interest Protection
Association.
Hungary's sex industry - including
prostitution and the production of
pornographic materials - generates
an estimated $1 billion annually,
said Agnes Bakonyi, the
spokeswoman of Hungary's tax
authority APEH...
Prostitutes in Hungary, can work
legally only within certain zones -
distant from schools and churches
- and must get regular medical
checkups. Pimping and bordellos
are banned."
Pablo Gorondi, "Hungary Gives
Permits to Prostitutes,"
Washington Post, Sep. 24, 2007
45. Iceland Prostitution: Limited "The Icelandic Parliament has

Legality passed a new legislation which
Population: 306,694
Selling sexual services is makes paying for prostitution
Excerpts including legal. Paying for sexual illegal. Those caught paying for
Chapter XXII on Sexual services is illegal. prostitution could face a fine or up
Offences from the to one year in prison...
In 2007, buying and selling
General Penal Code of
sexual services was legalized Iceland is the third country to
Iceland (142 KB)
as long as third parties did outlaw the purchase of
not profit from the earnings prostitution. Sweden was the first
of prostitutes. In Apr. 2009 country to ban the buying of sex in
the Icelandic Parliament 1999 and Norway followed suit
passed legislation to prohibit earlier this year. In Finland, a ban
paying for prostitution. on purchasing sexual services from
victims of human trafficking was
Brothel Ownership:
introduced in 2007.
Illegal
Before this change in legislation,
Pimping: Illegal
selling and buying sexual services
was legal in Iceland. Selling sex
was illegal in the country until
2007, when a change in the general
penal code decriminalized
prostitutes and criminalized
profiting on the prostitution of
others.
Opinion polls have shown that up
to 70% of the population supports
banning the purchase of sexual
services."
Centre for Gender Equality, "A
New Law Makes Purchasing Sex
Illegal in Iceland," www.jafnretti.is,
Apr. 21, 2009
46. India Prostitution: Limited "In the heart of Mumbai, India lies
Legality Kamathipura, one of the country's
Population:
Prostitution is not a criminal poorest districts and also its largest
1,166,079,217
offense, but soliciting red light district, home to more
prostitution and prostitution than 60,000 sex workers...
in a public place are illegal.
On the streets of Kamathipura, it's
Brothel Ownership: no challenge for Aronson
Illegal [Frontline Producer] to find sex
workers to talk with. In a small
Pimping: Illegal
gathering she asks them frankly
about the core issues of their trade
-- economics and health. The
women get the equivalent of
US$1.50 for sex, $2 on a good
night, less than a dollar on a bad
night. To have sex without a
condom, men will often pay more
or, after a few visits, tell the women
they love them. The women in the
group laugh a bit about the men's
proclamations of love, but there's a
tragic fact behind their laughter:
more than half of the sex workers
here are HIV positive."
Raney Aronson, "India - The Sex
Workers," PBS's Frontline, June
2004
47. Indonesia Prostitution: Legal "Prostitution is not specifically

Prostitution is not defined in addressed in the law. However,
Population:
the law. many officials interpreted "crimes
240,271,522
against decency/morality" to apply
Brothel Ownership:
to prostitution. Prostitution was
Legal
widespread and largely tolerated,
Pimping: Legal despite its contradiction with
popular societal and religious
norms. During the year security
forces reportedly participated in
operating brothels or protection
rackets by shielding brothels from
prosecution. International sex
tourism reportedly continued,
especially on the islands of Batam
and Karimun and in major urban
centers across the country...
The number of child prostitutes in
the country was unclear, but the
problem was widespread. Many
teenage girls were forced into or
found themselves caught in debt
bondage. At times law enforcement
officials treated child prostitutes as
criminals rather than victims.
Corrupt civil servants issued
identity cards to underage girls,
facilitating entry into the sex trade.
There also were reports of sexual
exploitation of boys. The country
was a destination for child sex
tourism. During the year NGOs
reported that long active pedophile
rings continued to operate in Bali.
NGO observers said many girls
were forced into prostitution after
failed marriages entered into when
they were 10 to 14 years of age.
There was no obvious violation of
the law because their paperwork
identified them as adults due to the
fact that they were once married."
Report: El Salvador,"
48. Iran Prostitution: Illegal "A controversial plan to set up

Prostitutes may face prison, what are being denounced as
lashing, or execution by licensed brothels in Iran has been
stoning. Customers also face rejected by official bodies... The
criminal penalties. idea was that people would sign up
at a registration centre, then be
Brothel Ownership:
referred to a health clinic for
Illegal
medical checks and a free
Establishing or managing a
contraceptive service... 'It's a
place of immorality or
euphemism for the official
prostitution is a criminal act,
establishment of houses of
subject to imprisonment
corruption, the normalisation of
from 1-10 years.
illegitimate relations, and the
Pimping: Illegal destruction of the family,' said the
Living off the income of Women's Social and Cultural
prostitution is illegal. Council.
The plan was defended by Ashraf
Borujerdi, Deputy for Social Affairs
at the Interior Ministry, who
helped draw it up. 'Some people
believe that talking about such
issues is taboo, but they are part of
the reality of society, and turning a
blind eye will not solve the
problem,' she said... Welfare
officials say there are at least
300,000 prostitutes working in the
country.
Under Iran's Islamic system, it is
possible to take out a temporary
marriage licence - known as Sigheh
- even for a few hours. The device is
used to cover casual transactions
which in many societies would be
regarded simply as prostitution."
"Iran 'Brothel' Plan Rejected," BBC
News, July 28, 2002
49. Iraq Prostitution: Illegal "Prostitution is illegal. During the

year, reports of prostitution
increased. According to the NGO
Illegal
Organization for Women's
Pimping: Illegal Freedom in Iraq, some women
have resorted to prostitution in
order to provide for their children.
On June 15, the Kurdish Lvin
magazine published a detailed
report on police involvement in a
major Kirkuk prostitution ring,
which routinely bribed government
officials with prostitutes. The
woman who ran the network
asserted that there are over 200
brothels in Kirkuk. The author of
the Lvin article, Soran Hama, was
killed on July 21. The case
remained unsolved at year's end...
Although reliable statistics did not
exist, Iraq was a source and
destination country for men and
women trafficked for commercial
sexual exploitation and involuntary
servitude. Children are trafficked
within the country and abroad for
commercial sexual exploitation.
Women are trafficked within the
country, as well as to Syria, Jordan,
Kuwait, Qatar, United Arab
Emirates, Turkey, and Iran for the
purpose of commercial sexual
exploitation."
Report: Iraq," www.state.gov, Feb.
25, 2009
50. Ireland Prostitution: Legal "Organised crime gangs are setting

up foreign language schools to act
as a front for prostitution, Fine
Illegal
Criminal Justice (Public Gaels spokesman on immigration
Order) Act, 1994 (13 Pimping: Illegal and integration Denis Naughten
KB) has claimed.
Criminal Law (Sexual Mr Naughton said bogus schools,
Offences) Act, 1993 (30 established by organised crime
KB) groups, were assisting students in
obtaining visas by providing the
necessary documents.
Members of the Oireachtas were
informed during a cross-party
briefing on Wednesday 'that
language schools in Dublin are
breeding grounds for prostitution.
We need urgent action to deal with
the proliferation of sex trafficking
into Irelands 80 million illegal
sex industry,' he said."
Aoife Carr, "Language Schools Act
as Fronts for Brothels - Naughten,"
Irish Times, June 19, 2009
51. Israel Prostitution: Legal "The Supreme Court on Monday

rescinded a district court decision
that awarded NIS [Israel Shekel]
Illegal
150,000 in compensation to a
Pimping: Illegal disabled man to pay for sexual
Procurement and living on services. The plaintiff, 31, was
seriously injured in a car crash in
the earnings of a woman in 1988 as a result of which he was
prostitution is prohibited. diagnosed as suffering from a
mental disorder and erectile
dysfunction. His lawyer argued
that ever since, his condition has
necessitated visits to prostitutes....
Justice Eliezer Rivlin wrote in his
decision that the claimant would
not be given funds that would be
used to violate the law by
encouraging prostitution. 'The
proper way of society to deal with
prostitution has been subject for
contention over many years,' Rivlin
wrote. 'There are those who see
prostitutes as slave laborers and
others who claim there are those
among them who make a
calculated choice to make a living
thusly. The difficult questions over
prostitution shall not be resolved,
here but we cannot ignore the fact
that criminal law frowns upon it.'"
Yuval Yoaz, "Court Rescinds Ruling
Funding Disabled Man's Brothel
Visits," Haaretz, Oct. 16, 2006
52. Italy Prostitution: Legal "Italian prostitutes marched

through one of the country's oldest
university towns in protest over
Illegal
new measures to clamp down on
Pimping: Illegal soliciting. Bystanders stood
Procurement and living on opened-mouthed as hundreds of
the earnings of a woman in women danced and sang their way
prostitution is prohibited. in colourful procession through the
streets of Padua in protest against a
crackdown by the Mayor, which
would grant police the power to
issue 30 on-the-spot fines to
their clients.
The council says targeting clients is
its only option, given that
prostitution is legal in Italy -
despite the ordinarily hard moral
line from the Vatican. But the
prostitutes have devised a way to
counteract the penalties - by
issuing pink coupons to their
clients promising to refund the fine
'in kind'. The council claims that
prostitution has fallen 70 per cent
since the new rules came in last
week, but the prostitutes said they
have merely moved to quieter
areas."
"Italian Prostitutes Protest at
Clampdown," Marie Claire, May
17, 2007
53. Jamaica Prostitution: Illegal "Although the law prohibits

prostitution, it was widespread,
particularly in tourist areas.
Illegal
Trafficking in women for
Pimping: Illegal prostitution continued to be a
problem...Child prostitution and
trafficking for the purpose of
sexual exploitation were
problems...
The law does not specifically
prohibit forced or compulsory
labor, including by children, and
there were reports of child
prostitution and of children
trafficked into domestic servitude
and forced labor."
Report: Jamaica," www.state.gov,
Feb. 25, 2009
54. Japan Prostitution: Limited "Although the 45-year-old

Legality Prostitution Prevention Law
Population:
Prostitution is defined as only prohibits hooking, straight sex has
127,078,679
coitus. Non-coital sex acts are been widely practiced at soaplands,
Report on not illegal. which number around 1,270
Implementation of nationwide...
Brothel Ownership:
Convention on the
Illegal ...The law says that it is prohibited
Elimination of All
to sell or buy sex, but it does not
Forms of Pimping: Illegal
penalize those acts. Instead, it
Discrimination against penalizes prostitutes for soliciting
Women (15 KB) or waiting for customers in public
places, such as on the street and in
parks. It also penalizes anyone who
forces somebody to engage in
prostitution, exploits a prostitute
or gives financial support to a
business engaged in prostitution...
...According to the National Police
Agency, there were 908 fashion
health massage parlors and 5,425
'outcall-style' fashion health
parlors that were publicly
registered in 2000 under the Law
Regulating Adult Entertainment
Businesses, etc. What protects the
operation of the fashion health
parlors is simple -- they only offer
oral sex, anal sex and other sexual
services that are not interpreted as
sex in the prostitution law...
...[In] 2000 1,225 people [were]
arrested on suspicion of violating
the prostitution law. But that it is
believed to be just the tip of the
iceberg. Research conducted by
Bank of Yokohama on the state of
the underground economy in
Japan in fiscal 1998 estimated that
unreported earnings from
commercial and 'amateur'
prostitution come to around 945
billion yen..."
Hiroshi Matsubara, "Prostitution
Testing Bounds of Culture,
Business," Japan Times, Mar. 16,
2002
55. Jordan Prostitution: Illegal "The country was a destination and

transit point for men and women
from South and Southeast Asia
Illegal
trafficked for forced labor, as well
Pimping: Illegal as a destination for women from
Eastern Europe and Morocco for
prostitution. Women from
countries including Sri Lanka,
Indonesia, and the Philippines
migrated to work as domestic
servants, but some were subjected
to conditions of forced labor, such
as withholding of passports,
restrictions on movement, non-
payment of wages, threats, and
physical or sexual abuse."
Report: Jordan," www.state.gov,
Feb. 25, 2009
56. Kenya Prostitution: Illegal "Whether one likes it or not,

prostitution is a "profession" that
will not die away; it is here to stay.
Illegal
And with it comes the challenges
Pimping: Illegal which hardly allow easy solutions.
The trade in Kenya, which is
classified under the Penal Code,
Sections 147 to 154, is illegal in
Kenya and calls for stiff penalty.
But even though the law is clear on
commercial sex work, regardless of
gender and affiliation, the general
belief is that it is mostly the women
who engage in it and who are
arrested by police when caught."
May 19, 2007, Mildred Ngesa,
"Kenya: What the Law Says About
the Oldest 'Profession'," Nairobi
Nation
57. Korea, North Prostitution: Illegal "According to press reports,

prostitution is illegal; there is no
available information on the
Illegal
prevalence of prostitution in the
Pimping: Illegal country. There continued to be
reports of trafficking in women and
young girls who had crossed into
China...
Some North Korean women and
girls who voluntarily crossed into
China were picked up by trafficking
rings and sold as brides to Chinese
nationals or placed in forced labor.
In other cases, North Korean
women and girls were lured out of
North Korea by the promise of
food, jobs, and freedom, only to be
forced into prostitution, marriage,
or exploitive labor arrangements. A
network of smugglers facilitated
this trafficking. Many victims of
trafficking, unable to speak
Chinese, were held as virtual
prisoners, and some were forced to
work as prostitutes. Traffickers
sometimes abused or physically
scarred the victims to prevent them
from escaping. Officials facilitated
trafficking by accepting bribes to
allow individuals to cross the
border into China."
Report: Democratic People's
Republic of Korea," www.state.gov,
Feb. 25, 2009
58. Korea, South Prostitution: Illegal "More than 1,400 people have been
Illegal since 1948. caught buying, selling, or brokering
sex around the country over the
Brothel Ownership:
last ten days, the National Police
Illegal
Agency said Thursday.
Up to 10 years in prison.
Pimping: Illegal The agency launched a nationwide
crackdown on brothels on April 6
continuing until the end of May.
It apprehended a total of 1,477
people involved in prostitution
during the first seven days, taking
14 of them into custody.
Among those were 15 building

owners allowing pimps to conduct
business there, 814 customers and
369 prostitutes.
More than half, or 820 of those
detained were from Seoul and its
surrounding areas ? 340 from
Gyeonggi Province, 268 from
Seoul, and 212 from Incheon, the
nation's second largest port city
located west of the capital.
The majority of those caught were

at brothels disguised as 'massage
clubs,' the agency said, but 159
were found to have paid for sex
from women they met through
online chat rooms.
Under the Anti-Prostitution Law,

prostitutes and their customers can
face up to one year in prison, or a
three million won fine, while
brokers face up to seven years in
prison or 70 million won in fines.
Those purchasing or brokering sex
with minors face harsher
punishment."
Park Si-soo, "1,400 Nabbed for
Prostitution in a Week," Korea
Times, Apr. 16, 2009
59. Kyrgyzstan Prostitution: Legal "The sex trade is booming in

Prostitution is not a crime Bishkek, and authorities are
but the exact legal status is struggling to respond. Prostitution
unclear. is not a crime in Kyrgyzstan, and
with no legal measures in place to
Brothel Ownership:
regulate the industry,
Illegal
overburdened Bishkek police are
Pimping: Illegal proposing to either legalize
prostitution or, alternatively,
outlaw it once and for all.
Bishkek police claim that some
3,500 prostitutes work in
Kyrgyzstan's capital, while
unofficial estimates put that
number at 1.5 to 2 times higher.
Officials claim that sex workers
from neighboring countries
account for the vast majority of the
number, with Kyrgyzstani
prostitutes making up a mere 2 to 3
percent of the total. In addition,
the capital offers some 169 saunas,
177 hotels and more than 1,000
private apartments with sexual
services, police say.
Prostitution is not a crime in
Kyrgyzstan, and prostitutes say
that popular attitudes toward their
work are more understanding than
in neighboring Uzbekistan. But
that welcome has its limits. Violent
crimes involving prostitutes such
as murders or assaults are on the
increase. With less than adequate
control over migration streams into
Kyrgyzstan, police fear that cycle of
violence could only worsen."
Jan. 10, 2005, Abdan Shukeev,
"Bishkek Battles Going Bawdy,"
EurasiaNet
60. Latvia Prostitution: Legal "A Swedish documentary on

Requires monthly health Latvian sex workers snowballed
check. into a major controversy in Riga
Latvia Regulations (6 this week, drawing harsh remarks
Brothel Ownership:
KB) from top government officials and
Illegal
ministries, which are considering
Pimping: Illegal lawsuits against the director.
Latvian President Vaira Vike-
Freiberga called 'Buy Bye Beauty'
by Pl Hollander 'political
propaganda' that didn't meet
standards of objectivity.
Hollander's movie, recently shown
at the Gothenburg Film Festival,
depicted a gloomy picture of the
sex industry in Latvia. Hollander
interviewed a number of people
involved with the Latvian
pornography industry while
making the film, many of them
prostitutes. Based on his
interviews, the filmmaker claimed
there are about 18,000 prostitutes
in Latvia. According to official
statistics, there are 2500 to 3000
prostitutes in the country.
Hollander also claimed that about
50 percent of Latvian women have
had sex for money."
Feb. 19, 2001, Ieva Raubiko, "Sex
Industry Sparks Controversy,"
Central Europe Review
61. Liberia Prostitution: Illegal "The first woman to be appointed

Director of the Liberia National
Police (LNP), Col. Beatrice Munah
Illegal
Sieh, says her administration will
Pimping: Illegal eradicate the high level of
prostitution and corruption in
Liberia."
Apr. 13, 2006, M. Welemongia
Ciapha, II, "Police Boss Vows To
Fight Prostitution," Liberian
Observer
62. Lithuania Prostitution: Illegal "Prostitution is illegal but

remained a problem. The penalty is
a fine of 300 to 500 litas
Illegal
(approximately $124 to $207) for a
Pimping: Illegal single offense and up to 1,000 litas
($415) for repeat offenses. In the
first eight months of the year,
police charged 72 women with
administrative violations for
prostitution...
The law prohibits forced or
compulsory labor, including by
children; however, there were
reports that women and children
were trafficked for commercial
sexual exploitation. Trafficked
women and girls in forced
prostitution worked on streets, in
illegal brothels, or as call girls."
Report: Lithuania," www.state.gov,
Feb. 25, 2009
63. Luxembourg Prostitution: Legal "Prostitution is legal and was

common, but the activities
associated with organized
Illegal
prostitution, such as profiting
Pimping: Illegal from, aiding, or trafficking
prostitutes are punishable by law...
The country is a destination for
women trafficked transnationally
for the purpose of sexual
exploitation. Source countries
during the year primarily included
Romania and Ukraine. During the
year the government identified
nine victims of trafficking. At year's
end authorities were prosecuting
one perpetrator for trafficking, and
had tried and convicted nine others
for procuring prostitution and
human trafficking."
Report: Lithuania," www.state.gov,
Feb. 25, 2009
64. Malaysia Prostitution: Limited "From 2008 until Mar 15, police
Legality saved 39 foreigners aged between
Prostitution is not a criminal 18 to 25-year-old, who had been
offense, but soliciting forced into prostitution by their
prostitution is illegal. agents...
Brothel Ownership: They were among the 12,070
Illegal prostitutes nabbed throughout the
country in 2008. Out of that
Pimping: Illegal
number, 8,949 were foreigners -
China (4,496), Indonesia (1,389),
Thailand (1049), Philippines
(1,090) and Vietnam (512).
And from January to March 15,
police arrested 2,878 prostitutes,
out of which 2,144 were foreigners
- China (1,030), Indonesia (387),
Thailand (237), Vietnam (222) and
the Philippines (188).
In most of the cases, victims were
locked in a room after being
brought into the country and
forced into prostitution...
There is a new department to
handle human trafficking cases
known as the Anti-Trafficking In
Person (ATIP) which was set up
early last year."
Rashitha A. Hamid, "Police Nab
2,878 Prostitutes; Many Are Duped
Foreigners," Star, Mar. 20, 2009
65. Malta Prostitution: Illegal "The law prohibits prostitution,

and the government effectively
enforced it. The law provides for
Illegal
Criminal Code of Malta sentences of several months to two
(1.4 MB) Pimping: Illegal years in prison. From January
through June, the police arraigned
27 persons on 49 charges (counting
repeat arrests) for offences related
to prostitution. There were a
number of prosecutions during the
year...
The country is a destination for
women trafficked for commercial
sexual exploitation. On July 6
authorities charged three men with
forcing a Swedish woman into
prostitution. According to police,
two separate investigations in 2007
led to the arrest of seven persons
for the trafficking of eight Russian
and Ukrainian women for the
purpose of sexual exploitation.
There was also anecdotal evidence
that women from Serbia, Romania,
and other eastern European
countries may have been trafficked
to the country for forced
prostitution."
Report: Malta," www.state.gov,
Feb. 25, 2009
66. Mexico Prostitution: Legal "The testing is one of the measures

Prostitution is decriminalized that this city [Tijuana] has taken to
and regulated at the state regulate prostitution, which has
level. Where regulated they flourished here for decades. The
must be at least 18, city council passed a law in June
registered, pay for and that requires the town's active
receive health checks, and prostitutes - 5,000 are currently
carry their health card. It being tested each month - to have
cannot be in public though monthly medical exams for
many cities have a red light sexually transmitted diseases and
district or "zona roja." forces brothel owners to adopt
more sanitary practices. Those who
Brothel Ownership:
do not face stiff fines and the loss
Illegal
of their business licenses.
Pimping: Illegal
One measure of the magnitude of
the problem health officials face is
that more than 8,000 women and
men who have registered as
prostitutes since the system began
have stopped coming to the city
clinic, Dr. Mayor Noriega said. It is
unclear how many left the business
and how many simply decided not
to pay for the tests any more."
James C. McKinley Jr., "A New
Law in Tijuana Regulates the
Oldest Profession," New York
Times, Dec. 13, 2005
67. Netherlands Prostitution: Legal "One third of the famous 'window'

Officially legal since Oct. brothels and sex clubs of
2000. Prostitutes must be Amsterdam are facing closure after
Dutch Policy on over 18 and clients must be the city council recently refused to
Prostitution (34 KB) over 16. Prostitutes must renew 33 licences in a crackdown
register and pay taxes. against organised crime....
Brothel Ownership: The Christian Democrat CDA and
Legal the ChristenUnie (CU) parties -
Subject to licensing and both of which are expected to form
zoning requirements. part of the new governing coalition
- want even tougher measures,
Pimping: Legal
including the prosecution of men
Living off income from a
who frequent prostitutes who are
prostitute is legal if it doesn't
working against their will....
involve coercion.
But others, such as Petra
Timmermans from the
International Committee on the
rights of Sex Workers in Europe,
said the Dutch were experiencing
outside pressure from countries
that did not understand their
traditions. 'The Netherlands has
decided to do things differently so
it is under tremendous pressure
from neighbouring countries to re-
evaluate its position,' she said.
'People look at the Netherlands and
say it is a failed experiment
because not every sex worker is a
millionairess.'"
Nicola Smith, "Amsterdam Cleans
Ip Its Act," Expactica.com, Jan. 10,
2007
68. New Zealand Prostitution: Legal "Parliament tonight passed

Since 2003 prostitution has prostitution law changes when MPs
been decriminalized. It is voted 60-59 in favour of a bill
Frequently Asked legal for citizens over 18 years which raised passionate debate and
Questions (FAQ) - old. drew the strongest opposition from
Prostitution Law moral conservatives since
Brothel Ownership:
Reform (64 KB) homosexual law reform 17 years
Legal
International ago.
Owners must be over 18 years
Approaches to old, a citizen of New Zealand Labour MP Tim Barnett's
Decriminalising or or Australia, and have an Prostitution Reform Bill will
Legalising Prostitution Operator's Certificate. Only become law after nearly three years
(117 KB) applicants with serious of scrutiny, 415 hours of debate by
criminal convictions will be Parliament and its committees and
denied. 222 public submissions.
Pimping: Legal It decriminalises prostitution and
No laws against living off the establishes a legal framework
avails of prostitution. around the sex industry, with
licensed brothels operating under
public health and employment
laws."
"Prostitution Decriminalised,
Brothels to be Licensed," New
Zealand Herald, June 25, 2003
69. Nicaragua Prostitution: Legal "Prostitution, which is legal for

persons 14 years of age and older,
was common, although the law
Legal
prohibits its promotion, including
Pimping: Legal procurement. In Managua most
prostitutes worked on the streets,
in nightclubs and bars, or in
massage parlors. The law imposes
a penalty of five to seven years'
imprisonment for convicted sex
tourism offenders. The NNP
reported no cases of sex tourism
during the year...
Child prostitution remained a
problem. The law permits juveniles
14 years of age or older to engage in
prostitution. The country was a
destination for child sex tourism,
primarily in Granada and
Managua; however, there were no
reported cases during the year."
Report: Nicaragua,"
70. Norway Prostitution: Limited "A new law has come into force in
Legality Norway making the purchase of sex
Selling sexual services is illegal.
legal. Purchasing sex is
Norwegian citizens caught paying
illegal.
for prostitutes at home or abroad
Brothel Ownership: could face a hefty fine or a six-
Illegal month prison sentence, authorities
say.
Pimping: Illegal
The prison sentence could be
extended to three years in cases of
child prostitution.
The Norwegian authorities say they
want to stamp out sex tourism and
street prostitution by targeting
clients rather than prostitutes...
The tough new measures go further
than similar ones introduced by
other Nordic countries such as
Sweden and Finland.
Norwegian police have been
authorised to use wire-tapping
devices to gather evidence.
There has already been a visible
decrease in women working on the
streets of central Oslo, local media
report.
Prostitutes will be offered access to
free education and health
treatment for those with alcohol or
drugs problems."
BBC News, "New Norway Law
Bans Buying of Sex,"
www.news.bbc.co.uk, Jan. 1, 2009
71. Panama Prostitution: Legal "Although prostitution is legal and

regulated, with prostitutes required
to register and carry identification
Legal
cards, the majority of prostitutes
Pimping: Illegal were not registered. Although
2,650 sex workers were registered
with the government, there was no
accurate information regarding the
number of persons practicing
prostitution in the country.
Trafficking in women was a
problem...
Although the law prohibits
trafficking in persons for the
purpose of sexual exploitation,
persons were trafficked to, from,
and within the country. The PNP
Sex Crimes Unit reported that most
victims trafficked into the country
came from Colombia, the
Dominican Republic, and Central
America. The primary destinations
for victims trafficked from the
country were Jamaica and Europe.
Most victims trafficked within the
country were women and children
trafficked into the sex trade. The
PNP Sex Crimes Unit reported that
the vast majority of trafficking
victims were women older than 18
years.
The principal traffickers in the
country were owners of houses of
prostitution, and most
transnational trafficking occurred
using valid travel documents and
was conducted through official
ports of entry."
Report: Panama," www.state.gov,
Feb. 25, 2009
72. Paraguay Prostitution: Legal "Prostitution is legal for persons

over the age of 18, and exploitation
and trafficking of women,
Illegal
particularly underage prostitutes,
Pimping: Illegal remained serious problems...
Sexual exploitation of children,
principally in prostitution, was a
serious problem. According to the
SNNA, many underage children
were forced to work as prostitutes
or domestic servants for survival
and were sexually abused...
In March a 15-year-old trafficking
victim who escaped from a brothel
in Buenos Aires fled to Ciudad del
Este, where she filed a complaint
with the SNNA. Based on her
complaint, Argentine and
Paraguayan authorities rescued 25
girls from the brothel. Charges
remained pending. During the year
prosecutors opened an
investigation into a syndicate that
trafficked dozens of adolescent
girls to Chile."
Report: Paraguay," www.state.gov,
Feb. 25, 2009
73. Peru Prostitution: Legal "Peruvian sex workers urged the

government on Friday to regulate
their profession, saying it would
Legal
protect them from violence and
Pimping: Illegal help stop the spread of sexually
transmitted diseases. Although
prostitution is legal in Peru and in
much of Latin America, sex
workers said prostitutes should be
allowed to work under license in
'tolerance zones.' To get and keep a
license they would have to register
with the government, submit to
regular health checks and pay
taxes.
'People have to understand that it's
not simply about a whore standing
on a street corner, it's a woman, a
lady who's working,' said Angela
Villon, president of the Civil
Association of Sex Workers, at a
news conference....
According to the health ministry,
there are around 60,000 sex
workers in Peru, 14,000 of them in
the capital Lima, although Villon
said she believed the true figures
were higher."
Gideon Long, "Sex Workers Urge
Peru to Regulate Prostitution,"
Reuters, May 18, 2007
74. Philippines Prostitution: Illegal "'Hey, Joe,' they shout at passing

"Bar girls" must register and men, much the way another
have health checks. generation of prostitutes once
shouted to 'GI Joes' at the former
Clark Air Force Base across the
street from the red-light district.
Brothel Ownership:
Neon lights, strip joints, 'girlie'
Illegal
bars and 1950s-style hotels jam
Pimping: Illegal together as pop music blares from
the clubs. For more than 100 years,
this area has been a capital of
prostitution and hedonism, dating
back to a time when the women
were called 'camp followers.'...
Nursing and teaching, more
traditional women's work in the
Philippines, pay a fraction of the
sums these women can make. That
is, if their pimps allow them to
keep their money. A University of
the Philippines study in the late
1990s estimated there were about a
half-million prostitutes in the
country."
Mike Comerford, "A Look at Life in
the Red-light District," Daily
Herald, Apr. 17, 2005
75. Poland Prostitution: Legal "According to police, there were an

estimated 3,200 prostitutes in the
country; however, NGOs estimated
Illegal
Trafficking in Human that the number of women in all
Beings in Poland Pimping: Illegal elements of the sex industry was
Report by the Polish significantly higher, from 18,000-
Ministry of Interior and 20,000. Women were trafficked for
Administration, 2008 (1 commercial sexual exploitation...
MB)
While prostitution is not
criminalized, pimping, recruiting,
or luring persons into prostitution
carry penalties of up to 10 years in
prison... In 2007, according to the
Ministry of Justice, 70 traffickers
were convicted for forced
prostitution and trafficking,
compared to 16 convictions in
2006 strictly for trafficking."
Report: Poland," www.state.gov,
Feb. 25, 2009
76. Portugal Prostitution: Legal "Prostitution in Quarteira has been

steadily rising over the past years,
mainly due to the influx of
Illegal
immigrant women from Eastern
Pimping: Illegal Europe, Brazil and Africa. At the
moment there are 80 street
prostitutes in Quarteira, according
to AIDS Support Movement...
They sell their services for as little
as 20 and many times must settle
for less as the interested parties
haggle and the harsh competition
forces them to accept the cheaper
price.
Their clientele is extremely varied;
labourers, doctors, lawyers,
tourists, students and even the
elderly drive down the street at an
idle speed to satisfy their urge,
explained the psychologist who has
been helping women protect
themselves from sexually
transmitted diseases for the past
seven years.
The AIDS Support Movement
distributes condoms and
information pamphlets teaching
prostitutes how to put on a condom
even if the client does not want to
use one...
In 2007 there were 80 prostitutes
working in Quarteira, 78 women
and two transsexuals, 65% of them
were foreign."
"Quarteira Protesting
Prostitution," Portugal News, Aug.
30, 2008
77. Romania Prostitution: Illegal "Romanian authorities are

planning to legalize prostitution as
a way to help fight human
Illegal
trafficking and sex slavery, police
Pimping: Illegal
said on September, 1st. Selling
sexual favors is now a crime
punishable by fines or up to three
years in prison in Romania.
However, because the crime is
considered petty, most prostitutes
only face fines, with some
prostitutes collecting over 500
fines in the last two years,
Bucharest police said. The fines are
rarely paid, and tax collection
authorities cannot enforce them as
most prostitutes have no legal
income.... Pimps face up to seven
years in prison, or up to 20 years if
they traffic minors, but despite
efforts by law enforcement sex
trafficking remains widespread."
"Romanian Authorities Consider
Plan to Legalize Prostitution,"
Associated Press (AP), Sep. 6, 2006
78. Rwanda Prostitution: Illegal "President Paul Kagame yesterday

warned that the government would
not tolerate prostitution in
Illegal
Rwanda. Addressing thousands
Pimping: Illegal that thronged Amahoro National
Stadium to commemorate the 30th
International Women's Day, the
President castigated prostitution as
an illicit act that should never be
defined as part of the country's
development agenda. 'I received
reports from the Mayor of Kigali
recently that some women and girls
were arguing that it (prostitution)
is a sign of development,' Kagame
said. 'It is not part of Rwanda's
path to development and,
therefore, must stop.'...
'It (prostitution) cannot be
classified anywhere in the country's
development indicators. It is a
menace that ought to be stopped
immediately because we have our
own morals and cultural values
that have to be preserved and
protected,' Kagame stressed...."
Robert Mukombozi, "Rwanda:
Govt Toughens On Prostitution,"
New Times, Mar. 9, 2007
79. Saint Kitts and Prostitution: Illegal "Prostitution is illegal and was not
Nevis considered a problem...
Brothel Ownership:
Population: 40,131 Illegal In August parliament passed laws
criminalizing trafficking in persons
Pimping: Illegal
that include all elements of the
offense, such as withholding
identification or travel documents
of a person and controlling and
restricting the movement of a
person. There were no confirmed
reports that persons were
trafficked to, from, or within the
country."
Report: Saint Kitts and Nevis,"
80. Saint Lucia Prostitution: Illegal "Prostitution is illegal, but it was a

growing problem. Some
underground strip clubs were
Illegal
Criminal Code 2003 (1 fronts for prostitution and
MB) Pimping: Illegal reportedly were owned by corrupt
police officers. There were no
arrests for prostitution during the
year...
There were reports that some
women from Saint Lucia were
trafficked to Saint Marten and
Barbados, and that women from
the Dominican Republic,
Colombia, Venezuela, Brazil and
some Eastern European countries
were trafficked to Saint Lucia,
where they worked at strip clubs
and brothels. There were reports
that police owned many of these
clubs, particularly in Rodney Bay,
and that women who fled the
brothels were sometimes returned
to them by police."
Report: Saint Lucia,"
81. Saint Vincent and Prostitution: Illegal "Although prostitution is illegal, a

Grenadines local human rights group reported
Brothel Ownership:
that it remained a problem among
Population: 104,574 Illegal
young women and teenagers."
Pimping: Illegal
Report: Saint Vincent and
Grenadines," www.state.gov, Feb.
25, 2009
82. Saudi Arabia Prostitution: Illegal "Saudi police have arrested more
than 80 people involved in 20
cases of prostitution and pimping
Illegal
this year, including some seized in
Pimping: Illegal the past 24 hours, Al Riyadh
newspaper reported Friday. Some
of those rounded up were foreign
domestic workers who had fled
their employers, the paper said.
Among the pimps arrested
Thursday were an Egyptian and a
Syrian, along with several
Indonesian prostitutes caught in
the act, the paper said. One girl,
arrested earlier, told a newspaper
that she had been 'led astray, into
error, by the devil to devote herself
to vice, for 1,500 [Saudi] riyals
[about $400] a night.'
Prostitution is strictly banned in
Saudi Arabia, which applies Sharia
(Islamic law), and is punishable by
prison and flogging."
"Saudi Police Seize 80 For
Prostitution, Pimping," Middle
East Times, June 22, 2007
83. Senegal Prostitution: Legal "Prostitution was legalized in this

Prostitution has been legal predominantly Muslim country in
since 1969. Must be at least 1969, and today the government
21 years of age, register with tolerates it as long as each
the police, carry a valid prostitute registers with the state,
sanitary card, and test is over 21 years old, and comes
negative for sexually regularly to a center run by the
transmitted infections (STIs). Ministry of Health for checkups,
Free condoms are provided education, and medical treatment.
beginning at the first visit to And that's a big reason why this
the clinic and are renewed West African nation of 10.5 million,
monthly. according to the World Health
Organization, has an HIV infection
Brothel Ownership:
rate of about two percent while
Illegal
many of its nearest neighbors face
Pimping: Illegal rates several times higher; some
Soliciting or living off the Southern African countries, such as
earnings of prostitution is Botswana, report that a mind-
prohibited. boggling 39 percent or more of the
adult population is infected."
Nicholas Thompson, "The Network
Effect," Boston Globe, Jan. 5, 2003
84. Singapore Prostitution: Legal "Singapore may raise the minimum

Legal red-light districts, age for prostitutes from 16 to 18 to
mandatory health checks, bring its laws in line with
and must be 16 years or international standards, a
older. newspaper report said Tuesday,
Oct 4. A government study into the
Brothel Ownership:
penal code's provisions on sexual
Legal
offences is expected to be
Pimping: Illegal completed by the end of the year,
the Straits Times newspaper
reported. Local authorities, while
declining to provide specific
reasons behind the study, said it
was part of a 'holistic review' of
Singapore's laws on sexual offences
and may include criminalizing sex
with minors overseas.
'We constantly review our laws to
keep abreast of changing times and
norms,' the Straits Times quoted a
Ministry of Home Affairs
spokesman as saying. Under
current laws, having sex with girls
under 16 is considered statutory
rape, punishable by up to five years
in jail and a fine of S$10,000
(US$5900)....
Prostitution is legal in Singapore
but pimping and public solicitation
are not. Licensed brothels operate
in designated areas..."
"Singapore May Raise Minimum
Prostitution Age to 18," Agence
France Presse, Oct. 4, 2005
85. Slovakia Prostitution: Legal "Prostitution is legal, but related

activities, such as operating
brothels, knowingly spreading
Illegal
sexually transmitted diseases, or
Pimping: Illegal trafficking in women for the
purpose of sexual exploitation, are
prohibited. There was no reliable
data on the extent of prostitution...
The International Organization for
Migration (IOM) estimated that
between 150 and 200 persons were
trafficked from or through the
country during 2007, mainly for
the purpose of commercial sexual
exploitation. There were isolated
reports that children were forced
into prostitution...
In February 2007 police uncovered
a trafficking ring organized by
Slovak and Slovenian citizens that
recruited young Slovak women to
work legally in Croatia, and then
forced them to work as prostitutes
in Slovenia."
Report: Slovak Republic,"
86. Slovenia Prostitution: Illegal "Prostitution is illegal, but the

government did not actively
enforce this prohibition.
Illegal
Slovenian Penal Code Antitrafficking authorities and
(453 KB) Pimping: Illegal NGOs informally estimated that as
many as 80 bars and clubs across
the country could be engaged in
facilitating or promoting
prostitution...
The government apprehended,
investigated, and prosecuted
traffickers; police investigated nine
instances of human trafficking and
seven instances of forced
prostitution."
Report: Slovenia," www.state.gov,
Feb. 25, 2009
87. South Africa Prostitution: Illegal "South Africa's Constitutional

Court Wednesday upheld the
country's Sexual Offences Act,
Illegal
South Africa v. Jordan which classifies prostitution as an
and others - Summary Pimping: Illegal illegal profession. Six of the
of Judgment (5 KB) country's top 11 judges favoured
retaining and enforcing the Act,
which also prohibited the keeping
of brothels. The news has been met
with dismay by Cape Town's
tourism chiefs who wanted the
city's sex industry regulated and
turned into a major attraction to
the city."
"Court Rules that Prostitution
Remains Illegal in South Africa,"
Panafrican News Agency, Oct. 9,
2002
88. Spain Prostitution: Limited "Is prostitution a form of violence
Legality and exploitation of women, which
Prostitution is not a crime should be banned, or a job like any
but the exact legal status is other, which should be regulated?
unclear. The question has divided Europe,
with Sweden trying to eradicate
Brothel Ownership:
prostitution by penalizing the
Illegal in some regions
clients, while others such as the
Pimping: Illegal Netherlands have legalized the
trade. For Spanish legislators,
however, prostitution proved too
tough a nut to crack.
After nearly three years of debate, a
parliamentary commission
advising the government threw in
the towel, rejecting both of the
proposed approaches and simply
leaving prostitution where it was: a
shady zone where it is neither legal
nor illegal....
Its incapacity to adopt a clear
policy angered both the main
camps: women's rights activists
regarding prostitution as a form of
slavery, incompatible with
democratic values, and prostitutes'
associations saying sex workers
needed legal rights to protect
themselves.
Spain has been dubbed the 'brothel
of Europe,' with up to 500,000
women working as prostitutes.
Every day, 1.5 million men buy sex
in Spain, said Maribel Montano of
the governing Socialist Party
(PSOE). The trade, which is plied
in places ranging from parks and
flats to roadside brothels, turns
over an estimated 40 billion euros
(54 billion dollars) annually,
almost the equivalent of Spain's
education budget."
Sinikka Tarvainen, "Spain Divided
Over Semi-Legal Prostitution,"
German Press Agency, May 8,
2007
89. Suriname Prostitution: Illegal "Although the law prohibits sexual

exploitation, including
prostitution, in practice
Illegal
prostitution was tolerated.
Pimping: Illegal Concerns about the link between
prostitution and trafficking in
persons resulted in police raids on
brothels and arrests of several
prostitutes. Poverty continued to
put young women at risk of
becoming exploited for commercial
sex. The presence of large groups of
illegal workers in the gold mining
sector in the interior drew young
Maroon women and girls into
commercial sexual exploitation.
Police allowed many brothels to
operate but made bimonthly
checks on these establishments to
monitor if women were being
abused, held against their will, or
having their passports retained by
brothel owners to ensure
fulfillment of work contract
obligations."
Report: Suriname," www.state.gov,
Feb. 25, 2009
90. Sweden Prostitution: Limited "In Sweden, prostitution is

Legality officially acknowledged as a form
Since 1999 selling sex is not a of male sexual violence against
Swedish Penal Code (5 crime but the buying of sex is. women and children. One of the
KB) Buyers face fines and up to 6 cornerstones of Swedish policies
months in prison. against prostitution and trafficking
in human beings is the focus on the
Brothel Ownership:
root cause, the recognition that
Illegal
without men's demand for and use
Punishment includes up to 4
of women and girls for sexual
years in prison.
exploitation, the global prostitution
Pimping: Illegal
industry would not be able flourish
and expand."
Gunilla Ekberg, "The Swedish Law
that Prohibits the Purchase of
Sexual Services," Violence Against
Women, Oct. 2004
91. Switzerland Prostitution: Legal "Switzerland entered a treaty with

Prostitutes must register with the European Union to import
city authorities and health workers, seeking more bankers,
authorities and get regular managers, and academics. What it
health checks. got was an influx of prostitutes....
Brothel Ownership: Prostitution is legal in Switzerland,
Legal and its residents have the world's
Legalized in 1992. highest purchasing power,
according to a study published in
Pimping: Illegal
December by UBS AG. Prostitutes
from the European Union don't
need a work permit for the first
three months of residence and can
offer their services as self-
employed workers, provided they
register with police and comply
with tax laws.
The lack of restrictions, combined
with the country's wealth, has
pushed the number of prostitutes
per capita in Zurich to the highest
among industrialized countries, a
city employee heading a project for
improvement of the Langstrasse
area, Zurich's red-light district,
Rolf Vieli, said. Based on police
figures, Zurich has about 11
prostitutes per 1,000 people,
similar to the rate in Amsterdam,
known for its sex trade."
Antonio Ligi, "E.U. Treaty Spurs
Influx of Prostitutes to Zurich,"
Bloomberg News, Mar. 6, 2007
92. Thailand Prostitution: Illegal "Prostitution was made illegal in

1928, and the laws against it
strengthened in 1960. But it is an
Illegal
omnipresent part of the Thai
society, tacitly accepted and
Pimping: Illegal
tolerated. Prostitution goes on in
brothels in the countryside, behind
the garish signs over Bangkok's
girlie bars and massage parlors.
The industry is estimated to
account for an estimated 3 percent
of Thailand's economy, or about
US$4.3 billion a year."
"Thailand Holds Debate On
Legalizing Prostitution," Taipei
Times, Nov. 28, 2003
93. Trinidad and Prostitution: Illegal "Prostitution is illegal, and the

Tobago authorities continued to monitor,
Brothel Ownership:
investigate, and prosecute major
Population: 1,229,953 Illegal
operators believed to be engaged in
Sexual Offences Act Pimping: Illegal soliciting for prostitution. On
1986 (106 KB) January 20, police arrested 42
women involved in a prostitution
ring, many of whom had entered
the country illegally. The
authorities deported many of
them...
The Sexual Offenses Act prohibits
procurement of a person for the
purpose of sexual intercourse with
another person, and procuring a
person to become an inmate of a
brothel or to frequent a brothel."
Report: Trinidad and Tobago,"
94. Turkey Prostitution: Legal "...[A] special unit in the Prime

Requires registering and Ministry's Human Rights
attending clinics for regular Department will begin a project
examinations. Must carry aimed at giving prostitutes the
identity card indicating the opportunity to find alternative
dates of his or her health employment, the daily Aksam
checks. Health checks can be reported Sunday.
as often as twice a week.
Sociologists and psychologists
Sexworkers cannot be
interviewed 3,000 registered
married and their children prostitutes working at brothels to
are barred from occupying determine whether they have been
high rank in the army or forced into the job and whether
police, or marrying persons they would prefer another line of
of such rank, although they employment.
can work in other areas of
There are 15,000 registered
government service.
prostitutes in Turkey, 3,000 of
Brothel Ownership: whom work in 56 brothels. There
Limited Legality are an estimated 100,000
Official brothels in Turkey unregistered prostitutes in the
are state-run. The Turkish country."
penal code states that it is
"International Women's Day to Be
illegal to shelter a person for
Marked around Country," Hrriyet
prostitution.
Daily News, Mar. 7, 2010
Pimping: Illegal
95. Uganda Prostitution: Illegal "The Penal Code Act Cap 120, for
instance, holds any person
involved in prostitution criminally
Illegal
liable for the offence even though
Pimping: Illegal that person is forced to do so
against his or her will.
The Immigration Act also prohibits
entry of a prostitute, or a person
prior to entering Uganda was living
on the earnings of prostitution and
punishes any person who becomes
employed in Uganda without entry
permit. In this case many young
girls and women who are trafficked
into prostitution or forced to enter
Uganda illegally are guilty of such
offences. They are further punished
by the law. They are at a risk of
being imprisoned, fined, deported
and re-trafficked if found guilty in
the existing laws. There are also no
legal provisions that entitle Victims
of trafficking in humans to
rehabilitation despite the grave
physical assaults, sexual abuses,
and psychological trauma they
experience in the due process."
"Uganda: Punished Because There
is No Law to Protect Them,"
[Kampala] Daily Monitor, May 30,
2007
96. United Arab Prostitution: Illegal "Dubai's Cyclone night club is a

Emirates The sharia courts sentence typical example of the U.A.E.'s
lashings followed by flourishing international sex trade.
imprisonment. The massive club, owned by an
Indian based in London, is known
Brothel Ownership:
by visitors as the 'United Nations of
Illegal
prostitution.' On an average night,
Pimping: Illegal visitors say, there are possibly as
many as 500 prostitutes from as
many as two dozen countries --
including Azerbaijan, Bulgaria,
China, Russia, Taiwan, Tajikistan,
and Uzbekistan.
But Cyclone is hardly the only place
in Dubai providing work for
prostitutes. You can find them at
almost every five-star hotel in the
emirate, or even on the streets."
Peyman Pejman, "U.A.E.: Muslim
Federation Of States Is Hub of
International Prostitution," Radio
Free Europe, July 2, 2004
97. United Kingdom Prostitution: Legal "New laws making it a criminal

"Persistent" solicitation in offence to have sex with prostitutes
public places is illegal. Kerb controlled by pimps may be too
Sexual Offences Act crawling is illegal. complex to work in practice, police
2003 (7 KB) have warned.
Brothel Ownership:
Sexual Offences Act Illegal The legislation, which is due to
1985 (46 KB) come into effect later this year,
Pimping: Illegal
Sexual Offences Act aims to protect women forced into
Pimping law defined as
1956 (168 KB) the trade.
"controlling prostitution for
Civic Government gain." Gloucestershire Chief Constable Dr
(Scotland) Act 1982 (21 Tim Brain said he feared the
KB) complexity of the law may make
gaining evidence hard...
Criminal Law
(Consolidation) The government's planned change
(Scotland) Act 1995 (51 to the law in England and Wales
KB) aims to protect women forced into
the trade by traffickers and pimps.
Prostitution (Public Home Secretary Jacqui Smith
Places) (Scotland) Act launched the new legislation with
2007 (46 KB) an unequivocal message, saying
'there will be no more excuses for
those who pay for sex'.
At present it is not illegal to pay for
sex. Under the new legislation a
man will face prosecution if he
pays for sex with a woman who is
being 'controlled for gain' by
someone else...
The Home Office says more than
160 victims of sex trafficking were
rescued by police in a six-month
period last year.
The bill also includes tougher
controls on kerb crawlers."
BBC News, "Police Doubt over
Prostitute Laws,"
www.news.bbc.co.uk, Apr. 7, 2009
98. United States Prostitution: Limited "State attempts to regulate

Legality prostitution by introducing
Illegal except for 11 rural medical check-ups or licenses don't
US federal, state, and counties in Nevada, where address the core problem: the
Nevada county laws registration and health routine abuse and violence that
concerning prostitution checks are required. form the prostitution experience
and brutally victimize those caught
Indoor prostitution became
in its netherworld."
legal in Rhode Island in 1980
due to an unintentional legal Nov. 24, 2004 US State
loophole created by Department
legislators. The state enacted
new legislation closing the
loophole on Nov. 3, 2009.
Brothel Ownership:
Illegal
Illegal except for 11 rural
counties in Nevada.
Pimping: Illegal
99. Uruguay Prostitution: Legal "Prostitution is legal for persons

over the age of 18 and was
practiced openly in major cities
Illegal
and tourist resorts. There were no
Pimping: Illegal
known reports of police abuse of
individuals engaging in
prostitution. Trafficking in women
for prostitution occurred...
Some minors engaged in
prostitution and forced labor.
INAU found that they often did so
at the request of their families to
increase income. The media
reported three cases of minors
engaged in prostitution with the
consent of their parents in the
provinces of Tacuarembo, Rocha,
and Paysandu...
Most victims were women, girls,
and some boys trafficked within
the country to border and tourist
areas for sexual exploitation.
Through use of false job offers,
some women were trafficked to
Spain and Italy for commercial
sexual exploitation."
Report: Uruguay," www.state.gov,
Feb. 25, 2009
100. Venezuela Prostitution: Legal "Prostitution is legal. While there

was no government information on
the extent of prostitution, the local
Legal
anti-trafficking NGO Association of
Pimping: Legal Women for Welfare and Mutual
Help noted that prostitution was a
serious problem, particularly in
Caracas and domestic tourist
destinations...
Trafficking may be prosecuted
under criminal laws against forced
prostitution and trafficking, with
penalties of up to 20 years for
using force to coerce a victim to
perform a sexual act for a third
person, and under a law to protect
children, with fines of one to 10
months' income for trafficking in
children and two to six years'
imprisonment for trafficking a
child abroad. The Organized Crime
Law provides for sentences of 10 to
15 years if the victim of trafficking
or smuggling for labor or sexual
exploitation is an adult, or 10 to 18
years if the victim is a child or
adolescent...
The law prohibits inducing the
prostitution and corruption of
minors. Penalties range from three
to 18 months in prison and up to
four years in prison if the minor is
younger than 12 years old. If the
crime is committed repeatedly or
for profit, it is punishable by three
to six years' imprisonment. Prison
sentences for inducing a minor into
prostitution are increased by up to
five years if various aggravating
circumstances occur. Penalties for
several crimes relating to child
prostitution do not apply if the
perpetrator marries the victim. The
production and sale of child
pornography is prohibited, and the
law establishes penalties of 16 to
20 years' imprisonment for this
crime."
Report: Venezuela,"

Laws by Country - Prostitution

Transféré par

Informations du document

Titre original

Copyright

Formats disponibles

Partager ce document

Partager ou intégrer le document

Options de partage

Avez-vous trouvé ce document utile ?

Ce contenu est-il inapproprié ?

Droits d'auteur :

Formats disponibles

Laws by Country - Prostitution

Transféré par

Droits d'auteur :

Formats disponibles

Country Legal Status of Related Information

Population: Prostitution, Brothel

1. Afghanistan Prostitution: Illegal "Afghanistan's sex industry is

2. Albania Prostitution: Illegal "The law prohibits prostitution;

3. Angola Prostitution: Illegal "Prostitution is illegal, but the

4. Antigua and Prostitution: Illegal "Prostitution is prohibited, but it

5. Argentina Prostitution: Legal "...[P]rostitutes throughout

6. Armenia Prostitution: Legal "Prostitution and sex tourism are

7. Australia Prostitution: Limited "Foreign backpackers visiting

8. Austria Prostitution: Legal "A former Olympic figure skating

9. Bahamas Prostitution: Illegal "Prostitution is illegal and was not

10. Bangladesh Prostitution: Limited "Female prostitution was legal.

11. Barbados Prostitution: Illegal "Prostitution is illegal, but it

13. Belize Prostitution: Legal "The law does not explicitly

14. Bolivia Prostitution: Legal "As of Wednesday morning,

15. Brazil Prostitution: Legal "[R]ather than comply with an

16. Bulgaria Prostitution: Limited "Prostitution now exists in a legal

17. Cambodia Prostitution: Illegal "The constitution prohibits

18. Canada Prostitution: Legal "The Supreme Court of Canada has

19. Chile Prostitution: Legal "President Michelle Bachelet

...The documentary said that

Those detectives were allegedly

Some of the girls also said they

While the prostitution ring was

21. Colombia Prostitution: Legal "Adult prostitution is legal in

24. Cuba Prostitution: Illegal "'One day when I was down in

25. Cyprus Prostitution: Legal "Sun-baked Cyprus is the sordid

27. Denmark Prostitution: Legal "Torben Hansen, who has cerebral

28. Dominica Prostitution: Illegal "Prostitution is illegal but was a

29. Dominican Prostitution: Legal "Prostitution is legal, although

30. Ecuador Prostitution: Legal "Prostitution is legal for persons

31. Egypt Prostitution: Illegal Egyptian law bans both

32. El Salvador Prostitution: Legal "Although prostitution is legal, the

33. Estonia Prostitution: Legal "...[T]he Minister of Justice Rein

34. Ethiopia Prostitution: Legal "Everyday about 10,000 people

36. France Prostitution: Legal "French prostitutes have staged a

37. Germany Prostitution: Legal "An estimated 400,000 prostitutes

39. Grenada Prostitution: Illegal "Prostitution is illegal but existed...

40. Guatemala Prostitution: Legal "In Guatemala City, a new soccer

41. Guyana Prostitution: Illegal "Prostitution is illegal but present.

42. Haiti Prostitution: Illegal "Although prostitution is illegal, it

43. Honduras Prostitution: Legal "Although adult prostitution is

44. Hungary Prostitution: Legal "In an effort to bring prostitutes

45. Iceland Prostitution: Limited "The Icelandic Parliament has

47. Indonesia Prostitution: Legal "Prostitution is not specifically

48. Iran Prostitution: Illegal "A controversial plan to set up

49. Iraq Prostitution: Illegal "Prostitution is illegal. During the

50. Ireland Prostitution: Legal "Organised crime gangs are setting

51. Israel Prostitution: Legal "The Supreme Court on Monday

52. Italy Prostitution: Legal "Italian prostitutes marched

53. Jamaica Prostitution: Illegal "Although the law prohibits

54. Japan Prostitution: Limited "Although the 45-year-old

55. Jordan Prostitution: Illegal "The country was a destination and

56. Kenya Prostitution: Illegal "Whether one likes it or not,

57. Korea, North Prostitution: Illegal "According to press reports,

Among those were 15 building

The majority of those caught were

Under the Anti-Prostitution Law,

59. Kyrgyzstan Prostitution: Legal "The sex trade is booming in

60. Latvia Prostitution: Legal "A Swedish documentary on

61. Liberia Prostitution: Illegal "The first woman to be appointed

62. Lithuania Prostitution: Illegal "Prostitution is illegal but

63. Luxembourg Prostitution: Legal "Prostitution is legal and was