Originally Posted by Sénat
After five months of work, nearly fifty hearings and two moves, the Senate Special Committee to consider the bill, passed by the National Assembly on the fight against the system of prostitution, was held on Tuesday 8 July 2014 under the chairmanship of Mr. Jean-Pierre Godefroy (Soc - Manche) to consider the report of Ms. Michelle Meunier (Soc - Loire-Atlantique) and amendments to the text.
Anxious not to increase health and social precariousness of prostitutes, the Special Committee has confirmed the repeal of the offense of soliciting and decided against penalizing clients. Following further discussion, it considered that there was a real risk that the criminalization of clients up prostitutes in greater isolation and, therefore, in more dangerous conditions, while not not contribute significantly to the fight against networks of human trafficking and pimping, which must remain a priority for law enforcement and justice.
For her part, Michelle Meunier, rapporteur, said that prostitution was in all cases violence, mostly against women, and the responsibility of the customer could not be ignored indefinitely. It ruled accordingly, with other members of the special committee for the penalty, a position which was therefore not followed by the majority of the Special Committee.
The Committee has also adopted the provisions proposed by the rapporteur and the president to improve support for prostitutes and to facilitate their exit prostitution and to strengthen the fight against human trafficking and pimping .
Under the text adopted by the commission, the "exit route" planned for prostitutes will be replaced by a "project of social and professional integration" better funded and guaranteeing more rights. All the networks are confiscated trafficking and pimping will be dedicated to support funds for prostitutes. The victims of these networks involved in an integration project will benefit more easily from one residence permit whose term will be further extended to one year. Accreditation associations may accompany prostitutes in this course will be extended to all those working with people in difficulty.
Finally, the Committee has strengthened the part of fight against trafficking, including by increasing the competence of labor inspectors finding violations of human trafficking, which is the first legislative expression of the national action plan against the trafficking presented by the Government.