Protection to prostitutes as Germany approving a new law making it illegal to have sex without a condom
The country is making efforts to provide safety to prostitutes, including prevention of STDs.
The politicians of Germany have passed a new law which makes it illegal to have sex with a prostitute without a condom in the midst of other regulation of sex trade.
All the brothel owners will be obligated to draw their customer’s attention towards it, thereby banning the advertising of unprotected sex.
The law is passed in Germany’s upper house of Parliament, “The Bundesrat” on Friday following a previous vote in the Bundestag. The law needs to be signed by the President Joachim Gauck before it comes into effect in 1st July, 2017.
Prostitution in Germany has been legal since 2002 but it was severely destroyed by Human trafficking, abuse and stigmatization. The new law targets at tightening the regulation of prostitution in the country.
Scope of the Law
- Licensing is made mandatory for all Brothels to ensure the compliance with “minimum legal standards, hygiene and health and safety regulations”.
- Anyone who wants to open a commercial premises for prostitution will undergo an investigation to make ensure that there is no involvement of gangs, traffickers and criminals.
- Prostitutes must register themselves with local authorities, getting a certificate which must be renewed every two years and attend an annual health “advice” session.
- Sex workers under the age of 21 will get a certificate valid only for one year and must undergo a check with public health authorities every six months.
- If the law is violated through any means by any of pimps, buyers or prostitutes – can be charged with fines between Euro 1000 and Euro 50000, also giving the right to authorities to withdraw brothel’s licenses.
“Till now, sex workers had been defenceless against the power of Brothel Owners” but hoping that the new law will “protect them being getting exploited and violated”, says the minister for women and families, Manuela Schwesig.
Elke Ferner, the secretary of state for women and families, put up a sigh of relief saying, “Finally, there will be better protection for women and men who are involved in prostitution.”
Criticism
- Some campaign groups have argued that this will put down the widespread lack of trust between prostitutes and authorities, making them non cooperative with police or report abuse.
- Germany’s BesD sex workers’ union and Amnesty International said, “this law does no benefit to prostitutes, thereby not providing them any protection.”
- There is discrimination in registration requirement, violates data protection laws and brings the risk of workers being forcibly “outed”. Many men and women will enter into illegal sex work because of this where they are greater risk than the current scenario.
In 2002, the legislatures forced the sex workers to pay tax and allowed them to work as regular contracted employees, which led to the rapid growth of unregulated brothels, which urged the government for tighter controls.
Mandatory condom use is already in place in areas like Bavaria and Saarland as some states have brought in their own regulations.