The Ministry of Equality wants to penalize the property owners
The Spanish government plans to present a new law proposal to close prostitution premises. This was announced by the Minister of Equality, Ana Redondo, in an appearance in Congress, where she explained that it is a matter of penalizing “rental third parties”, a legal figure that refers to the transfer of real estate or premises for the ‘exercise of prostitution, with which it is intended to persecute the owners of the clubs and premises that benefit from this activity. The minister recalled that this measure was already proposed at the end of the previous legislature, but could not be approved due to the early calling of general elections. Redondo has assured that this initiative is already working in other countries, and has called for a “broad majority” and an “intense, rigorous and deep social debate” to take it forward.
An alternative for women who engage in prostitution
The Minister of Equality has recognized that the penalization of prostitution premises requires an “alternative” for the women who engage in this activity in the State, around 60,000, according to her data. Redondo has defended the need to implement measures to attend to these women, many of whom are in a vulnerable and precarious situation. Thus, he has proposed an “economic, residential and occupational solution” that allows them to “have a dignified and fair life”. In order to start this process, however, the socialist has reiterated the commitment to “include in the Penal Code the rental third parties and prohibit them”.
A step towards the abolition of prostitution
Redondo herself has raised the prohibition of prostitution premises as a first step, “not definitive, but important” in a long road map towards the abolition of prostitution, a dominant position within the PSOE. In fact, in the words of the equality holder herself, “as a socialist, I will not deny that abolitionism is an end”. The proposal, however, was left out of the government agreement with its partner, Sumar, due to the discrepancies they maintain in this matter. The minister, however, has not clarified whether only the penalization of brothels will be reinstated or whether the law against pimping that the Socialists promoted at the end of the last legislature will be pushed back. The proposal already had the support of the Popular Party and Podemos, although sectors of the current Sumar, such as the Commons, opposed it.
