Sex Buyer Law report calls for 'prostitution tourism' to be illegal
New proposals say UK government should prosecute men who pay for sex abroad
A parliamentary report published this week recommends that the government decriminalises selling sex but criminalise the act of paying for it.
What is the current law?
Under current legislation, activities such as soliciting for sex in a public place are outlawed. In 2013-14, there were more charges for loitering and soliciting than for the crimes of pimping, brothel-keeping, kerb-crawling and advertising prostitution combined, says The Guardian. In 2014, an all-party parliamentary group on prostitution cited "near pandemic" levels of violence and abuse that goes unreported because women are criminalised.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
What does the report recommend?
The Sex Buyer Law report, commissioned for the politicians by the End Demand campaign group, recommends that paying for sex should be illegal. It also wants to criminalise so-called "prostitution tourism", where people travel abroad to pay for sex. The parliamentary group is yet to formally respond to the report but its chairman, Gavin Shuker, the Labour MP for Luton South, has signalled his support for the recommendations.
Would it work?
Similar laws were introduced in Sweden in 1999, but their effect remains contentious. "Government statistics say Sweden, which counted 730 streetwalkers in 1999, saw the number fall to 300 by 2008," reports the Washington Times. "But the actual figure is far higher when those who work out of bars and solicit via the internet are included."
Others object on principle. "Making the purchase of sex a crime strips women of agency and autonomy," says Time. "It should be decriminalised altogether." But the Huffington Post says decriminalisation has led to "apocalyptic levels of abuse" in New Zealand, the US state of Nevada, the Netherlands and Germany.
What else is being done in the UK?
Last month, Conservative London Assembly member Andrew Boff put forward plans to propose "managed red-light districts" in the capital, where prostitution could take place between appointed hours, with the intention of making "those selling sex feel safer". A similar scheme has been introduced in Leeds following the murder of a prostitute, Daria Piouko, just before Christmas.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
7 beautiful towns to visit in Switzerland during the holidays
The Week Recommends Find bliss in these charming Swiss locales that blend the traditional with the modern
By Catherine Garcia, The Week US Published
-
The Week contest: Werewolf bill
Puzzles and Quizzes
By The Week US Published
-
'This needs to be a bigger deal'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
The state of sex work legalization around the world
In Depth The world's oldest profession has come a long way, but some say it is not enough
By Theara Coleman, The Week US Published
-
Netherlands split on WFH for sex workers
Speed Read Councils concerned over 'nuisance' of at-home sex work, but others say changes will curb underground sex trade
By Arion McNicoll, The Week UK Published
-
Texas’s abortion law: the Republicans get their way, at last
Speed Read SB8 authorises private citizens to sue anyone who performs, ‘aids or abets’ an abortion after six weeks of pregnancy
By The Week Staff Published
-
Changing legal gender: what’s new and how does it work?
Speed Read Cost of a gender recognition certificate application is reduced from £140 to £5
By Kate Samuelson Last updated
-
America’s bloodiest state votes to ban the death penalty
Speed Read Virginia has executed more than 1,300 people in its 400-year history
By Joe Evans Last updated
-
FBI accused of ‘fake’ background check on Donald Trump Supreme Court nominee
Speed Read Democratic senator calls for ‘proper oversight’ over Brett Kavanaugh investigation into sexual assault claims
By Joe Evans Last updated
-
Family of Malcolm X claims letter proves FBI and NYPD involved in his murder
Speed Read Daughters of assassinated civil rights leader demand reopening of investigation
By Joe Evans Last updated
-
Meghan Markle granted nine-month delay in Mail on Sunday privacy case
Speed Read Duchess of Sussex had applied for summary judgement in battle over letters sent to her estranged father
By Chas Newkey-Burden Last updated