Antwerp will introduce a new law on prostitution in September.
The aim is to better define and index the sexual services offered outside what the law tolerates. The new bill will explicitly ban advertising and selling unprotected sex.
The new law has been introduced because of an increase in a demand for unprotected sex that police and humanitarian organisations have noticed recently. The increase in demand has led to an increase in supply, which in turn increases the risk of sexually transmitted diseases. Antwerp has therefore decided to ban the advertisement and sale of unprotected sex outright.
The new law will also list new health and safety conditions managers will have to meet for the sale of any sexual services. Police also want to have a better idea of who is working in brothels and what conditions they are working under, to fight exploitation and human trafficking.
The description of disturbances and public order incidents related to the sex industry will also be modified in the new law, to link them to prostitution. This will affect the following incidents from September, among others: clients who hang around brothels, addressing or attracting passers-by, blocking people’s path in the street and exchanging money or negotiating prices in the street.
Sarah Johansson
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