Five years after its vote, the 2016 law on prostitution continues to be debated

Five years after its adoption, the lines of fracture remain clear between supporters and opponents of the law of April 13, 2016, aimed at “strengthening the fight against the prostitution system and supporting prostitutes”, whose number is estimated at 40,000. – of which 85% are women. This framework law, passed after three years of parliamentary debates, repealed the crime of soliciting, introduced the penalization of clients and set up a route out of prostitution intended to support victims. A small revolution, thus consecrating the abolitionist position of France at the expense of that defended by the regulationist camp, which considers that the sex trade is a professional activity that should, on the contrary, be supervised.

But, as already noted in December 2019 by a report carried out jointly by the General Inspectorate of Administration, the General Inspectorate of Social Affairs and the General Inspectorate of Justice, the heated debates of the time are now emerging. on minimal implementation. Concerning the social aspect of the law, which consists of supporting prostitutes on their way out of prostitution, with access to specific rights such as a temporary residence permit for foreign victims and financial assistance , only 564 people have benefited from it at this stage. The goal was to implement 1,000 each year, starting in 2017.

A “fair and balanced” law

However, according to the Fact-s collective, which brings together the main abolitionist associations, “Wherever this law is applied, it is effective because it is fair and balanced”. The fact remains that it is still heterogeneous, he regrets, asking in a press release his “ emergency application ‘ across the country.

Read also the tribune: “When the 2016 law on prostitution is applied, it is effective”

For example, twenty departments still do not have a departmental commission to fight against prostitution, responsible in particular for examining exit route files. Fact-s therefore requires a “Phase 2 of the law” and in particular the release of additional resources in order to achieve 4,000 exit routes per year, with an amount of allowances equivalent to the RSA (ie 550 euros per month against 330 euros at the present time).

On the contrary, for associations hostile to the law, the celebration of its 5 years is an opportunity to plead once again for its repeal, although a priority question of constitutionality in this sense has already been inadmissible. in February 2019. “The government must understand that the penalization of customers must be repealed”, thus supported Irène Aboudaram, head of advocacy at the NGO Médecins du monde, during a press conference organized on Monday April 12 with community associations of “sex workers” (TDS).

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