Legalizing Prostitution - "Pros" and "Cons" - Media Reactions

The annual profit generated by Bulgarian prostitutes is nearly half a billion lev and 90 % of this business is linked to organized crime. These findings were discussed yesterday at the press conference given by RiskMonitor to present the report “Pro/Con the Legalization of Prostitution in Bulgaria."

Media quote Mr. Stefan Popov, Executive Director of RiskMonitor, who believes that a rush decision to legalize prostitution may have an adverse effect and benefit instead the criminal structures that control the sex market. According to RiskMonitor experts, legalizing prostitution will not have a positive effect on the economy. For the most part, the prostitutes in night clubs have part-time contracts and are paid the minimum wage, which is an amount many times lower than the proceeds generated from prostitution.

The report recommends both short-term and long term legislative measures. In the current legislation, there is no legal prohibition of prostitution and most often prostitutes are detained on charges for “bezdelnichestvo” (an idler, a layabout).