NEW fines of up to €3,000 for clients of prostitution have been approved in La Linea (Cadiz) after councillors unanimously backed new rules aimed at tackling trafficking and sexual exploitation.
The new rules target customers of prostitution rather than the women involved, with the town hall describing the ordinance as ‘part of a wider effort to defend dignity and human rights’.
Under the ordinance, anyone caught paying for sexual services could face fines ranging from €500 to €3,000.
The measure was approved last Thursday following a proposal from the social organisation Hogar Betania, which supports people experiencing social exclusion.
According to mayor Juan Franco, the organisation stands out for ‘its national recognition in addressing this issue that affects the dignity of thousands of people’
Franco said the regulation marks ‘another step in the fight for the dignity of people and against trafficking’, a reality that ‘affects women in situations of ‘extreme vulnerability’.
Although prostitution itself is not illegal in Spain, pimping and profiting from prostitution are criminal offences under Spanish law.
Local councils also have the authority to introduce sanctions aimed at reducing demand for sexual services.
Hogar Betania worked closely with the council on drafting the ordinance. The mayor has indicated that the aim was to ‘focus penalties on consumers instead of punishing those involved in prostitution’.
The town hall described the measure as ‘an example of cooperation between social organisations and public administration in defence of equality and human rights’.
The mayor insisted the ordinance is ‘a necessary response to trafficking and sexual exploitation’, which he said ‘unfortunately still exists’.
The council hopes the new legal framework will help discourage the demand for prostitution while offering greater protection to victims of trafficking and exploitation.
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