Prostitution in Latvia

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Prostitution in Latvia is legal and regulated. The country is a destination for sex tourism.

Contents

Sex trafficking, child prostitution, and HIV are all problems in Latvia.

Legally, the prostitution in Latvia is governed by the "Regulations Regarding Restriction of Prostitution" issued by the Cabinet of Ministers. [1] [2] [3] A Restriction of Prostitution law to codify the Regulations is currently being developed. [1] [4]

Prostitutes must have reached age of majority, which is 18 in Latvia. A prostitute may not provide services while having herpes infection, dermatophytosis, pubic lice, gonococcal infection, chlamydia, scabies, leprosy or syphilis. A person who has HIV infection is banned from providing sexual services. [3]

Although prostitution is regulated in Latvia, brothels and other forms of procuring are illegal. Persons are prohibited to join in groups in order to offer and provide sexual services for fee or to receive orders for sexual services. The managers of entertainment and recreational establishments must ensure that sexual services for fee are not offered, provided and received in their establishments. [3]

According to the law "Any activity of the third person which promotes prostitution is prohibited" and "Persons are prohibited to join in groups in order to offer and provide sexual services..." [3] The prostitutes may only operate in a residence rented or owned by them. However, they may not provide services if neighbours object. Furthermore, the residence may not be closer than one hundred meters from a school or a church. Any violation of restrictions on prostitution is punished by a fine in an amount up to 350–700 Euro for a person and 700–1400 Euro for a company. [5]

Former Parliamentary Secretary of Ministry of the Interior Evika Siliņa explains that the complexity of issues and differences in opinion make the discussions complicated. [6] The leader of Resource Centre for Women Marta Iluta Lāce says that it is the exploiters that should be brought to responsibility foremost. [6]

History

Before 2015, it was a requirement for prostitutes to receive a health card from a venereologist and undergo a health check every month, and that they must be able to produce the health card on client's request. [7] [8] The change was implemented due to a resolution by the European Parliament and the UN Convention that forbids registration of sexual workers. [8]

On 28 July 2015, the Cabinet of Ministers set a goal to create a bill regarding the restrictions of prostitution until 1 January 2017. On 1 September, an inter-institutional work group was formed to work on the bill. On 7 February 2017, the government extended the deadline until September 1. The bill was delivered to Cabinet of Ministers on September 7 with many objections and its development was further extended to 1 June 2018. [9] The changes were preliminarily expected to come in effect on 1 January 2020. [10] One of the proposed directions was to establish prostitution as a profession with taxable income, however this proposal was declined. [11] The law is expected to increase the age limit for both the worker and the client to 25 years. [10]

Sex tourism

The country is a destination for sex tourism. [12] [13] [14] The capital, Riga, is a common destination for stag parties looking for a "good time". [12] [13] [14]

Buy Bye Beauty

Buy Bye Beauty is a 2001 documentary film by Swedish director and performance artist Pål Hollender. The film is about the way Latvian sex industry and its being fuelled by businessmen and sex tourists from Sweden visiting Riga. The film was shot in Riga in July 2000.

Latvian President Vaira Vīķe-Freiberga called it "political propaganda", [15] Prime Minister Andris Bērziņš suggested that an international criminal case could be started against the film's makers. [16]

Hollender claimed that police worked as part-time pimps and there was corruption in the police force generally. [15] He also claimed there were 15,000 - 18,000 prostitutes in Riga. Official figures were, at the time, between 3,000 and 4,000 in the country with 80 percent in Riga. [15]

HIV

Latvia has one of the highest HIV prevalence rates in the European Union. [17] Sex workers are one of the high risk groups. [18] The EU's BORDERNET estimated a HIV prevalence of 22.2% amongst sex workers in 2016. [19]

Sex trafficking

Latvia is a source country subjected to sex trafficking, [20] including child trafficking. [21] Latvian women and girls are subjected to sex trafficking in Latvia and other parts of Europe. Government agencies note an increase in child sex trafficking cases over the past few years. Latvian women recruited for brokered marriages in Western Europe, particularly Ireland, are vulnerable to sex trafficking. [20] A research published in 2007 by Riga Christian Street Children Centre concluded that that sexual exploitation of children was an urgent problem in Latvia and that teenager prostitution was one of the most widespread forms of exploitation. [21]

Sections 154-1 and 154-2 of its criminal law prohibit all forms of trafficking and prescribe a maximum penalty of up to 15 years imprisonment. Trafficking crimes could be charged under section 164, which criminalises exploiting individuals' vulnerability or using deceit to involve them in prostitution—a scenario very similar to sex trafficking—but prescribes punishments as lenient as community service or a fine. A 20-officer state police unit specialises in investigating trafficking, sham marriages, and related crimes. [20]

The government initiated prosecutions of 11 sex trafficking suspects under section 154 1 in 2016 (eight in 2015). Courts convicted four traffickers under section 154–1; all received conditional sentences resulting in no prison time. Courts concluded a 2011 case involving a police officer charged with facilitating pimping and taking bribes; he was sentenced to four years in prison. A case from 2014 involving two Riga police officers charged with facilitating pimping remained in pre-trial investigation at the end of the reporting period. [20]

The United States Department of State Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons ranks Latvia as a 'Tier 2' country. [20]

See also

Related Research Articles

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Procuring (prostitution)</span> Facilitation or provision of a prostitute

Procuring, pimping, or pandering is the facilitation or provision of a prostitute or other sex worker in the arrangement of a sex act with a customer. A procurer, colloquially called a pimp or a madam or a brothel keeper, is an agent for prostitutes who collects part of their earnings. The procurer may receive this money in return for advertising services, physical protection, or for providing and possibly monopolizing a location where the prostitute may solicit clients. Like prostitution, the legality of certain actions of a madam or a pimp vary from one region to the next.

Prostitution in Greece is legal at the age of 18, and regulated. It is estimated that fewer than 1,000 women are legally employed as prostitutes and approximately 20,000 women, half of whom are of foreign origin and the other half are Greek, are engaged in illegal prostitution. Many women affected by the economic crisis have turned to prostitution through poverty.

Prostitution in Guatemala is legal but procuring is prohibited. There is an offence of “aggravated procuring” where a minor is involved. Keeping a brothel is not prohibited.

Prostitution in Senegal is legal and regulated. Senegal has the distinction of being one of the few countries in Africa to legalize prostitution, and the only one to legally regulate it. The only condition that it is done discreetly. Prostitution was first legalised in 1966. UNAIDS estimate that there are over 20,000 prostitutes in the country. The average age for a sex worker in Senegal is 28 years old and female.

Prostitution in Costa Rica is legal. Costa Rica's legal system is based on Roman law rather than common law, and so for prostitution to be illegal it would have to be explicitly stated as such in a penal code, and it is not. Nevertheless, many of the activities surrounding it are illegal, as the law forbids promoting or facilitating the prostitution of another, and therefore pimping, brothels, or prostitution rings are illegal. Prostitution is common and is practiced openly throughout the country, particularly in popular tourism destinations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Prostitution</span> Engaging in sexual relations in exchange for payment

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Prostitution in Pakistan</span>

Prostitution in Pakistan is a taboo culture of sex-trade that exists as an open secret but illegal. Prostitution is largely based in organisational setups like brothels or furthered by individual call girls.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Prostitution in Ukraine</span>

Prostitution in Ukraine is illegal but widespread and largely ignored by the government. In recent times, Ukraine has become a popular prostitution and sex trafficking destination. Ukraine is a source, transit, and destination country for women and children trafficked transnationally for the purposes of commercial sexual exploitation. Ukraine's dissolution from the Soviet Union, saw the nation attempt to transition from a planned economy to a market economy. The transition process inflicted economic hardship in the nation, with nearly 80% of the population forced into poverty in the decade that followed its independence. Unemployment in Ukraine was growing at an increasing rate, with female unemployment rising to 64% by 1997. The economic decline in Ukraine made the nation vulnerable and forced many to depend on prostitution and trafficking as a source of income. Sex tourism rose as the country attracted greater numbers of foreign tourists.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Prostitution in Bangladesh</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Prostitution in Europe</span>

The legality of prostitution in Europe varies by country.

This is an overview of prostitution by region.

Prostitution in Burkina Faso is not specifically prohibited by the law, but soliciting and pimping are illegal. Burkinabe society only accepts sexual intercourse within marriage. In 2009, Voice of America reported that the number of prostitutes in Burkina Faso had increased as a result of the country's poverty. The increase in prostitution has given rise to fears of an increase in the number of Burkinabés infected with HIV and AIDS. UNAIDS estimate there to be 31,000 prostitutes in the country.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Prostitution in Africa</span>

The legal status of prostitution in Africa varies widely. It is frequently common in practice, partially driven by the widespread poverty in many sub-Saharan African countries, and is one of the drivers for the prevalence of AIDS in Africa. Senegal and Côte d'Ivoire permit the operations of brothels. In other countries, prostitution may be legal, but brothels are not allowed to operate. In some countries where prostitution is illegal, the law is rarely enforced.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Prostitution law</span> Legality of prostitution

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Prostitution in Namibia is legal and a highly prevalent common practice. Related activities such as solicitation, procuring and being involved in the running of a brothel are illegal. A World Bank study estimated there were about 11,000 prostitutes in Namibia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Prostitution in Laos</span>

Prostitution in Laos is regarded as a criminal activity and can be subject to severe prosecution. It is much less common than in neighbouring Thailand. Soliciting for prostitution takes place mainly in the city's bars and clubs, although street prostitution also takes place. The visibility of prostitution in Laos belies the practice's illegality. As of 2016, UNAIDS estimates there to be 13,400 prostitutes in the country.

Prostitution in Benin is legal but related activities such as brothel keeping and benefiting from the prostitution of others are illegal. UNAIDS estimates there to be about 15,000 prostitutes in the country. Most of these are migrants from neighbouring countries, mainly Nigeria, Togo and Ghana. Only 15% of the prostitutes are Beninese. Prostitution occurs on the streets, in bars, restaurants, hotels and brothels. With advent of the smartphone, many prostitutes use apps to make arrangements with clients.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Prostitution in the Americas</span>

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References

  1. 1 2 Liepiņa, Inese (2017-07-21). "Vēlas ierobežot prostitūciju" [Prostitution restrictions wanted]. Diena (in Latvian). Retrieved 2020-02-12.
  2. ↑ "100 Countries and Their Prostitution Policies". ProCon.org. Retrieved 2 February 2018.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Prostitūcijas ierobežošanas noteikumi [Regulations Regarding Restriction of Prostitution] (Law) (in Latvian). likumi.lv. 31 July 2015. Retrieved 2020-02-10.
  4. ↑ "Latvijas Republikas Ministru Kabinets: Tiesību aktu projekti". tap.mk.gov.lv. Cabinet of Ministers. Retrieved 2020-02-11.
  5. ↑ "Latvijas Administratīvo pārkāpumu kodekss" [Latvian Administrative Violations Code] (in Latvian). likumi.lv . Retrieved 2020-02-10.
  6. 1 2 "IeM parlamentārā sekretāre: prostitūcijas stāvoklis Latvijā būtu jāmaina" [Ministry of the Interior Parliamentary Secretary: the state of prostitution in Latvia should be changed]. Delfi (in Latvian). LETA. 2018-09-28. Retrieved 2020-02-11.
  7. ↑ "Prostitūcijas ierobežošanas noteikumi" [Regulations Regarding Restriction of Prostitution] (in Latvian). likumi.lv. 2009-12-17. Retrieved 2020-02-10.
  8. 1 2 4. studija (2015-08-16). "Prostitūtas turpmāk Latvijā varēs nelietot sanitārās grāmatiņas" [Prostitutes in Latvia will not longer need to use health cards]. Public Broadcasting of Latvia (in Latvian). Retrieved 2020-02-11.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  9. ↑ Gailāne, Gunita (3 December 2017). "Vēl par pusgadu pagarinās prostitūcijas ierobežošanas likuma izstrādi" [The Restriction of Prostitution bill will be delayed by another half a year]. Delfi (in Latvian).
  10. 1 2 Mače, Zane (2017-10-27). "Prostitūtas nedrīkstēs būt jaunākas par 25 gadiem" [Prostitutes will not be allowed to be younger than 25 year old]. Public Broadcasting of Latvia (in Latvian). Retrieved 2020-02-11.
  11. ↑ Krastiņa, Baiba (2018-10-03). "Joprojām bez kopsaucēja" [Still without a common denominator]. Diena (in Latvian). Retrieved 2020-02-12.
  12. 1 2 "Riga: The European City of Sex Tourism ? | Latvia Documentary | Reckon Talk". Reckon Talk. 22 November 2015. Retrieved 2 February 2018.
  13. 1 2 "Latvians worried about sex tourism". The Sydney Morning Herald . Retrieved 2012-07-13.
  14. 1 2 "Latvia prepares for a tourist invasion". BBC. Retrieved 2012-07-13.
  15. 1 2 3 Johansson, Jorgen (22 February 2001). "Bye, bye ethics". Baltic Times. Retrieved 2 February 2018.
  16. ↑ "Latvian sex industry controversy". CER. 26 February 2001. Archived from the original on April 9, 2001. Retrieved 2 February 2018.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  17. ↑ курс (17 March 2017). "Number of new HIV cases in Latvia down in 2016". Baltic States news & analytics. Retrieved 2 February 2018.
  18. ↑ "Country mission Latvia: HIV, sexually transmitted infections and hepatitis B and C" (PDF). European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. September 2011. Retrieved 2 February 2018.
  19. ↑ "Latvia 2016 Country factsheet". UNAIDS . Retrieved 2 February 2018.
  20. 1 2 3 4 5 "Latvia 2017 Trafficking in Persons Report". U.S. Department of State. Archived from the original on 3 July 2017. Retrieved 2 February 2018.PD-icon.svg This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain .
  21. 1 2 "Sexual Exploitation of Children in Latvia, Research Report from Riga Christian Street Children Centre". childcentre.info. 2007-06-19. Archived from the original on 2019-06-14. Retrieved 2020-02-12.
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