PROSTITUTION : A worrying answer from the British government

Published on Thursday, 15 December 2016 13:24

After the report published last July by the Home Affairs Select Committee, , the British government gives their position on the considered legal evolutions relating to the prostitution in the kingdom. A few positive points but some dangerous orientations.

Dangerous options

Two worrying trends towards the acceptation of certain forms of prostitution seem to emerge from this text.

On the one hand, the dichotomy between prostitution and sex work is asserted and clearly claimed in all of the texte, which amounts to admitting sexual merchandization as long as two adults are consenting to a rational economic choice. On the other hand, the government confirms their will, already expressed in the 2015 Serious Crime Act to remove all reference to child prostitution from the law. This trend clearly matches with global international trivialization or even denying of child prostitution. Do we need to consider this as a will to remove child prostitution from the framework of the combat against children’s sexual exploitation , which would then turn into an empty shell ?

Besides, the government refuses, for now, to import all of the Franco-Swedish abolitionist model whereas the penalization of the purchase of sexual services is an inescapable concept for a global and efficient fight against the prostitution system and the most vulnerable persons’exploitation.

Read also>>> Should we worry about the last report on prostitution in UK ?

A few positive orientations

However the British government’s answer shows 4 encouraging points :

    = A better protection for prostituted persons :

      - Suppression of the solliciting offence (Recommendation 4) and cancelling of registered solliciting in the criminal record

      - Recognition of prostitutes’ vulnerability and exposure to physical and sexual abuses

      - Protection and support of persons who prostitute themselves or wish to leave prostitution

    = Stronger means for the fight against traffickers and those who exploit vulnerable persons and development of a government taskforce specialized in the combat against modern slavery (Recommendation 3)

    = Taking care of minors after their majority to ensure a protective follow-up (Recommendation 1) and improved training for young victims’ identification by police forces and State services

    = Implementation of a thorough study on the situation and evolution of prostitution (Recommendation 2) taking into account prostitutes’ speech

Read more >>>

-      House of Commons Home Affairs Committee : "Prostitution" Third Report of Session 2016–17

-      THE GOVERNMENT RESPONSE TO THE THIRD REPORT FROM THE HOME AFFAIRS SELECT COMMITTEE SESSION 2016 17 HC 26: Prostitution

-       Serious Crime Act 2015