NCJ Number
199191
Date Published
2002
Length
60 pages
Annotation
Based on six studies conducted by various research institutes, this paper reports on the impact of the Dutch law (operational on October 1, 2000) that lifted the ban on brothels while increasing restrictions on unacceptable forms of prostitution.
Abstract
Under this law, brothels in which prostitutes choose to work voluntarily are no longer prohibited, but it is a serious offense to traffic in persons, to force another person into prostitution, or to involve a minor in prostitution. The six studies that examined the impact of this law were based largely on interviews with hundreds of prostitutes, dozens of licensees, police officers, informers, representatives of professional services, and a Dutch population sample. The studies found that municipal authorities are still in the process of granting licenses to brothels that conform to all the applicable regulations. Thus, the intended changes under the law have not yet been fully implemented. Consequently, it is too early to observe the law's effects. Further, any measure of the impact of the new law is complicated by other developments that may have influenced the prostitution business. Still, this report describes the status of the prostitution business well over 1 year after the new law. Since the process of granting licenses has not been uniformly expedited across municipalities, the enforcement of the new law has varied from one municipality to another; however, in municipalities where the licensing process has been completed and enforcement has begun, the police focus has been on the unregulated sector of prostitution, such as "streetwalking" or mobile forms of prostitution. At this stage of the evaluation of the law's impact, no conclusions can be drawn about the increase or decrease in the number of forced prostitutes or under-age prostitutes. 13 references