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Lawmaker, Is the Prostitute a Human Being?
17.07.2013Stefan Popov in "Trud" Daily.
Over the past year the repression on sex workers intensified with arrests, fines and even prison. What is this about?
Policies applied throughout the world do not offer one universal solution to the problem of prostitution. From the restrictive regime as applied in most American States, through the German and Dutch liberal models with their strict rules to protect sex workers' rights, to those who are pursuing customers (Scandinavia), the authorities experiment with various methods of regulation.
Bulgaria's place in this wide and complex spectrum is quite "uncivilized" and "brutal". Local law enforcement has difficulties in discriminating between "prostitution" and "human trafficking". Indeed, there is no "free" prostitution in Bulgaria and the market for sexual services lies tightly under the control of organized crime. The provision of Art. 329 (dating back to 1968) which stipulates imprisonment for "non-labor" income gained in "immoral" and "unauthorized" way still exists in the Penal Code. This text is used as a tool of repression and extortion of sex workers.
Its repeal is the first important step in the process of formulating appropriate policies targeting prostitution and human trafficking.