Spanish Town Cracks Down On Prostitution, With Fines Of Up To €3,000

A groundbreaking regulation regarding prostitution in Calpe, on the Costa Blanca, has become a significant development, and a first in the region.

Amidst applause from both the corporate and public sectors, including the Women’s Association for Equality, the initial approval of a municipal law targeting the eradication of prostitution and trafficking for exploitation purposes in Calpe received unanimous support during Monday’s council session.

The ordinance, as explained by the councillor for equality, Itziar Doval, introduces a new approach by focusing on penalising those who engage in or promote prostitution, effectively categorising the purchase of sex as a “punishable act”, reported La Marina Plaza.

Conversely, prostituted individuals will be viewed as victims of violence who will not face persecution, but rather receive support from both society and municipal police agencies. The Local Police actively collaborated in drafting the ordinance, stated the security councillor, Guillermo Sendra.

The law includes a range of fines for clients and pimps, in varying degrees of severity.

Simultaneously, a comprehensive support and assistance programme for victims is integral to this initiative.

Toni Tur, councillor of Defendamos Calpe, proposed that women who have endured the hardships of prostitution should receive preferential treatment when accessing municipal employment plans, thereby facilitating their integration into the labour market.

Minor infractions (Fines of €500 to €750 euros)

• Spread advertising that encourages prostitution or sexual tourism in public spaces.
• Behaviours that may favour sexual exploitation, such as bringing prostitution seekers closer to places where people in prostitution are found.

Serious infractions (Fine of €750 to €1,500)

• Offer, request, negotiate or accept paid sexual services for own enjoyment or for a third party.
• Carry out any activity of a sexual nature in public spaces in exchange for paying money or in kind.
• Collaborate with those seeking sexual services with actions such as alerting them to the presence of police officers.
• Favour or promote the consumption of prostitution by intermediating between those seeking sexual services and people in a situation of prostitution, that is, the usual work of the pimp.
• Performing paid sexual services in public spaces, even inside vehicles.
• The promotion of sexual services on advertising media installed in the municipality of Calpe.

Very serious infractions (From €1,500 to €3,000)

These are the previous six when they are carried out in:

• Spaces located less than two hundred metres away from teaching or educational centres or other places with an influx of children or young people.
• Places located less than two hundred metres from spaces intended for holding public events of a cultural, festive, recreational or sporting nature, with an influx of public.
• Points that imply greater vulnerability for people in a situation of prostitution due to their isolation, lack of lighting, proximity to vehicle circulation routes or difficulty in escaping.

Sanctions will generally be imposed at their minimum level unless they are aggravated by circumstances such as contempt for authority or fleeing the scene. The repetition in the course of a year of two or more minor infractions will become serious, and the repetition of serious infractions will become very serious.