The Coalition for the Abolition of Prostitution calls on the Spanish MPs to adopt the Proposición de Ley Orgánica por la que se modifica la Ley 10/1995 para prohibir el proxenetismo en todas sus formas (Organic Law to prohibit pimping in all its forms) as soon as possible.
The bill registered on 19 March 2024 is identical to the one that reached the consensus between the two majority groups in the Congress of Deputies in 2022. We call for this consensus to be maintained, in order to respond to the emergency of providing access to justice and protection to women in prostitution, as well as to specifically combat trafficking in human beings for the purpose of sexual exploitation, which has reached disproportionate proportions in Spain.
This bill is also in line with the recommendations of the European Parliament Resolution of 14 September 2023. It includes the main pillars of the abolitionist model:
- Criminalisation of all forms of pimping (Art. 187), including the “tercera locativa” (brothel management) (Art. 187 bis);
- Criminalisation of the purchase of sexual acts (Art.187 ter);
- Decriminalisation of persons in prostitution (Art.187 ter);
- Access to protection and assistance measures for persons in prostitution (First final provision);
This recognition of victim status gives access to an ambitious set of rights, including the provisions of the Victims’ Statute Law of 2015 and the Sexual Freedom Law passed in 2022. This package of rights includes, among others: financial assistance (access to the Renta Activa de Inserción), emergency medical assistance, psychological assistance, priority access to housing, right to information, professional reintegration programmes, police protection, information and support in the judicial field, reparation and compensation, and access to the victims’ reparation fund. The rights of the Victims’ Statute Law and the Sexual Freedom Law will also apply to foreign victims in an irregular situation.
As a complement, we call for the inclusion of two amendments that were proposed in the previous legislature, which would strengthen the impact of the law:
- The establishment of an action plan on the following topics: awareness-raising, prevention, protection and comprehensive intervention with persons in a situation of prostitution or victims of trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation. This plan will be developed in collaboration with the Autonomous Communities, Local Entities, associations and organisations specialised in this area, as well as with the victims of trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation and prostitution. The implementation of this plan should be evaluated by a Monitoring Commission.
- The development of awareness campaigns, especially aimed at the young male population, to discourage the demand for prostitution.
This bill is a historic opportunity for Spain to take a major step towards equality between men and women and against the sexual exploitation of women and girls, in Spain and in Europe. It would allow the implementation of an ambitious Abolitionist policy, placing Spain at the forefront of the fight against the system of prostitution and trafficking in human beings for sexual exploitation.
Now is the time for justice and protection for women in prostitution in Spain.
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