Prostitution in France

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Prostitution in France itself is legal but many activities surrounding it are not. Thus, while a man or woman may seek compensation for sexual services, he or she may not advertize this fact.^[1] Furthermore, passive solicitation is also prohibited. ^[2] If someone working as a prostitute stands in a public place known as a place in which prostitutes congregate, dressed in somewhat revealing attire it is considered passive solicitation. ^[1] Furthrmore, all forms of procuring are illegal in France.^[3] Procuring (proxénétisme) is defined as (1) helping or protecting someone to prostitute him/herself. (2) Profiting from the prostitution of another, receiving funds from someone who prostitutes him/herself habitually (3) Hiring or training someone to prostitute him/herself or pressure someone to prostitute him/herself.^[3] France is an "abolitionist" country; that is to say, its public policy is the eradication of prostitution, though it considers that making it illegal to offer sexual services in return for goods or services in the context of one's private life is a violation of individual liberty.^[1]. Paying someone for sexual services (except those under the age of consent) is never illegal in France. Nevertheless, the 2007 Socialist Party Manifesto calls for holding clients "responsible". The vague language is due to the fact that the such mesures remain controversial in the Socialist Party.^[4] The Manifesto also calls for repealing the ban on "passive solicitation".^[4]

Contents 1 Forms and extent of prostitution 2 History 3 Politics 4 Money 5 Legal situation 6 High profile crimes and scandals 7 Sources and external links

[edit] Forms and extent of prostitution

Studies from 2003 estimated that about 15,000 - 20,000 women work as prostitutes in France. 1

Street prostitution. Regular street prostitution is partly controlled by pimps and partly autonomous prostitutes. The most famous prostitution street in Paris, 'la Rue Saint-Denis' has been somewhat gentrified in the recent years and the prostitutes have been moved up north.

Escort services. Escort services, where you hire a girl for "entertainment" or companionship - followed by sex - exist in France, but remains quite rare compared to North America

Bars. In bars, women try to induce men to buy expensive drinks along with the sexual services. Prices are set by the bar owner, and the money is shared between the owner and the prostitute. Pigalle peepshows are well-known for practising such scams.

Apartment prostitution. There are many of these advertised in the adult newspapers.

Swingers clubs are a place where partner-swapping swing clubs with paid prostitutes in attendance, as well as 'amateur' women and couples who get in without paying the flat-rate charge of about 80 to 120 euros that men pay, including food, drink and unlimited sex sessions, with the added twist that these are performed in the open in full view of all the guests.

[edit] History

Starting in the XIX century, houses of prostitution ('known then as "maisons de tolérance"') appeared in Paris.^{[citation needed]} They become highly popular throughout the century.^{[citation needed]} Amongst the most known of the time were:

• le Chabanais (open since 1820),
• le Sphinx,
• la Rue des Moulins,
• le One Two Two

More sordid ones, offering quick and dirty services, the maisons d’abattage were also popular amongst the lower-class...

The appearance of syphillis had stigmatized similar houses at the end of the XVIth century. Proven unsanitary in turn, those brothels proved to not disclose the matters so as to not lose their clientèle. Prostitutes also had a reputation of having slept with the Germans during World War II and that did not help at the end of the war. Up until 1946, those French 'bordels' (or maisons closes, or even lupanar) were authorized. But on April 13th 1946, Marthe Richard, a town councellor in Paris who had been a prostitute herself, elaborated an eponymous law that ultimately saw the definitive closing of brothels in France. Roughly 20,000 women were affected by this law and an approximately 1400 houses closed.

Many owners of those "maisons closes" soon opened "hôtels de passe" instead where prostitutes could keep on working but the visibility of their activities remain somewhat hidden. Prostitution thus became a free activity: would remain forbidden only its organisation and exploitation - i.e. pimping - and its visual manifestations.

[edit] Politics

[edit] Money

An estimation puts at 500€ per day the salary of a prostitute in France. For Sub-Saharian prostitutes living in France, it is less, around 200-300€. Some barely make 50-150€ a week!2

[edit] Legal situation

Since 1946, while prostitution in not illegal per-se in France, passive solliciting is. Many sex workers do not wish to see appear a more constraining legislation since that would prevent them from being able to choose their clients, the acts they choose to perform, etc.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] High profile crimes and scandals

Recently, Xavier Niel, CEO of the major french ISP Free.fr, has been convicted of pimping since several of his sex-shops have been proven to have facilitated "sexual favours" from their "visual artists".3

[edit] Sources and external links

1. ^ ^{a b c} (French)"SOS Femmes Accueil - Prostitution - Le cadre juridique en France"
2. ^ Article L. 225-10-1 of the Code pénal defines passive soliciting (racolage passif) as " the act, by any means, even a passive attitude, to solicit another in the aim of inciting him or her to have sexual relations in exchange for remuneration or a promise of remuneration..."
3. ^ ^{a b} (French)"Article 225-5 of the Code Pénal (partie législative)" on Legifrance - le service publique de l'accès au droit.
4. ^ ^{a b} (French)"Prostitution : le PS veut pénaliser les clients" Coignard, Jacqueline. Libération. 6 July 2006.