France's Lower House Passes Law Imposing Fines On Prostitution Clients

[interestrateripoff]

http://www.theguardian.com/society/2013/dec/04/france-law-fines-prostitution-clients

The French lower house of parliament has passed a reform of prostitution law imposing fines on clients, a shift to tougher rules which has split the country and angered some sex workers.

Politicians voted 268 in favour and 138 against to give France some of the most restrictive legislation on prostitution in Europe – a radical switch away from the nation's traditionally tolerant attitude.

Those seeking to buy sex will now face a €1,500 (£1,240) fine, while the act of soliciting itself will no longer be punished.

Women's rights minister Najat Vallaud-Belkacem, who has championed the reform, argued that prostitution in any form is unacceptable and said the aim of President François Hollande's Socialist government was to suppress the trade altogether.

Makes perfectly legal sense it's all the man's fault. Perhaps they should just fine men €1,500 a year just to be safe?

[MrPin]

Isn't there already VAT on it ?

[davidg]

http://www.theguardian.com/society/2013/dec/04/france-law-fines-prostitution-clients

Makes perfectly legal sense it's all the man's fault. Perhaps they should just fine men €1,500 a year just to be safe?

Of course it won't change anything as there are no police available to police it. When I drive into town there are under-aged child hookers lining the streets near the airport. There are already a whole raft of laws to suppress this trade and residents have complained bitterly to the authorities who said they don't have the resources. Passing another, different law won't make any difference.

Still the 1500 euros could come in handy to pay a bit off the deficit.

[MrPin]

Of course it won't change anything as there are no police available to police it. When I drive into town there are under-aged child hookers lining the streets near the airport. There are already a whole raft of laws to suppress this trade and residents have complained bitterly to the authorities who said they don't have the resources. Passing another, different law won't make any difference.

Still the 1500 euros could come in handy to pay a bit off the deficit.

Are you near Doncaster?

[happy_renting]

Are you near Doncaster?

Doncaster has an airport?

and streets?

It must be posher than I thought.

[1929crash]

I doubt this will adversely affect French socialist men like Dominique Strauss-Kahn.

[corevalue]

Punish men to stop the women doing something? Sounds like fair :angry:

Now if the men were organised, we could stop all presents, paying restaurant bills and other "gifts" to ladies, to avoid accusations of paying in kind. I wonder how long the women could go without?

[blackgoose]

The real men they should be going after are the pimps and people traffickers. But no, they are too much like real criminals and Im sure the police would like easier targets.

[Executive Sadman]

Oh for gods sake. Focus on women forced into it under duress and let the rest be.

This is what happens when you give unhinged feminazis like Harriet Harm-man and Jackboot smith any degree of power.

[DeepLurker]

I note that the Grauniad article is not accepting comments.

[DeepLurker]

Oh for gods sake. Focus on women forced into it under duress and let the rest be.

This is what happens when you give unhinged feminazis like Harriet Harm-man and Jackboot smith any degree of power.

I do find it amusing to see feminists fighting to limit other women's freedom (to do whatever they like with their bodies).

[swissy_fit]

The Froggie politicos are just playing the same game as our lot - talking about something that a few people get revved up about to avoid talking about the real issues like debt, deficits, real unemployment figures including everyone on Sickness benefit and other difficult things.

Gay marriage, foxhunting, etc etc etc, our lot do the same thing.

[JoeDavola]

I do find it amusing to see feminists fighting to limit other women's freedom (to do whatever they like with their bodies).

Indeed; who can say when it's morally right to have sex with someone, as long as both parties consent to the situation. Men and women both objectify each other to varying degrees anyway; all relationships involve transactions of some sort.

The feminists want to be able to screw as many men as they want (men that they deem as 'high status' enough), have as many abortions as required, and not to be 'slut shamed' for this, i.e. men should not be allowed to think anything less of a woman who's spent her most attractive years riding the C0ck Carousel, and now wants to marry a 'provider' to take care of her.

If a woman has 100 one-night stands with blokes she's only known for an hour or two, we're not allowed to say anything negative about that; her body, her choice. When a woman marries a bloke for his money/status, that's just natural hypergamy. But a bloke who pays a woman for sex in a transaction that is more honest and transparent than a lot of relationships are, they should be condemned?

Women who are willing to sell access to their bodies will always be around, as will men who are willing to pay. Legalize it and make it as safe as possible for all parties involved.

I'd argue that visiting a prostitute to relieve loneliness and sexual tension is healthier than hiding behind a computer screen jacking off to porn, especially the types of porn that are readily available these days. I also think those who have difficulties finding partners, for example those with disabilities, could probably benefit from a bit of female company now and then - if there are women who are happy to provide that service, it seems cruel to deny certain blokes that experience.

Oh, and I'm not saying that the '100 one night stands' or paying for sex approach to life is ideal - far from it. But I don't see how the latter is seen as less morally acceptable.

[redwine]

There are said to be 20,000 prostitutes working in France one of the reasons as to why they want to change the laws are due to sanitary problems.

I was driving in the South of France last Summer and on a popular A road for at least 20Kms they seemed one for every 200 meters or so.

Standing in the blazing sun all day long with there mobile phones on the side of the road.

I was surprised to see so many and over the border in Spain they seemed to everywhere.

There has to be some sort of control because of health risks.

In France there main custom comes from the seniors so maybe there is some truth in the expression 'he's a dirty old man'

[bendy]

The real men they should be going after are the pimps and people traffickers. But no, they are too much like real criminals and Im sure the police would like easier targets.

The obvious practical solution - but then the elites wouldn't be able to turn on the lexmark, print a shiny piece of paper with a number on it and have a plethora of women to f***.

[1929crash]

The Froggie politicos are just playing the same game as our lot - talking about something that a few people get revved up about to avoid talking about the real issues like debt, deficits, real unemployment figures including everyone on Sickness benefit and other difficult things.

Gay marriage, foxhunting, etc etc etc, our lot do the same thing.

Absolutely right. The gay marriage issue was so obviously designed to take people's minds off the real issues - even gay couples would put keeping body and soul together with a reasonably paid job and decent house than the right to get married.

[davidg]

Absolutely right. The gay marriage issue was so obviously designed to take people's minds off the real issues - even gay couples would put keeping body and soul together with a reasonably paid job and decent house than the right to get married.

Quite a few divorces already - put down to the pressure of marriage after many happy years living together.

[1929crash]

Quite a few divorces already - put down to the pressure of marriage after many happy years living together.

[interestrateripoff]

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/europes-biggest-brothel-it-will-cost-45m-and-will-boast-90-prostitutes-8986921.html

The German town of Saarbrücken was once renowned for its fine Moselle wines, first-class cuisine and an easy going un-Teutonic way of life.

Yet the border city’s fame as a laid-back gourmet paradise is now fast being overtaken by a new and unsavoury reputation as Europe’s prostitution capital.

The reasons are self-explanatory: the city has 170,000 residents and a population of over 1,000 call girls. The numbers grew after 2007 when Bulgaria and Romania gained EU membership. Since then there has been a steady influx of women plying the sex trade, often to escape poverty at home.

Early next year their numbers will swell even further with the opening of a new €4.5m (£3.8m) 6,000sq-metre “mega brothel” in Saarbrücken’s Burbach district. It will employ 90 full-time prostitutes and be run by a permanent staff of 45. The establishment has been described as one of the largest brothels in Europe.

And yet over the border they are opening up a mega brothel.

[swissy_fit]

The Germans are reviewing their policy re. prostitution because it hasn't had the effect they wanted - hardly any of the girls have registered and the trafficking gangs are doing as well as before or more so.