Prostitution law scrapped by Senate

Romania’s project to legalise prostitution was unanimously rejected by the Commission on Legal Affairs of the Upper House – the Senate

March 2011 - From the Print Edition

The aim was to bring the practise out of the dark so that sex workers can have access to medical care, rights of association, labour rights and would pay income tax.
But Toni Grebla, leader of the Senate’s Commission said he cannot pass this law because he cannot agree to sexually exploit women to get state revenues.
He also argued that Romania is not ready for this law, because its people are mostly of the Orthodox faith, and the Church does not back the move.
The supporter of the proposal - Democratic Liberal Party (PDL) Silviu Prigoana – argued that prostitutes should be at least 20 years of age and clients should be at least 16. Brothels would have been only available for heterosexuals.
“The failure of this law will maintain pimping and human traffic networks,” says Valentin Simionov, executive director for the Romanian Harm Reduction Network (RHRN).
The law also stipulated that sex workers would have monthly check-ups with doctors.
“Prostitutes are pushed at the end of society, as they cannot pay their fines and thus cannot benefit from health insurance and, in order to be medically insured, one must not have unpaid fines,” say Simionov.
In Romania’s interwar period prostitution was legal and sex workers solicited in luxury shops, cinemas, theatres and on the outskirts of town.
The most famous place in Bucharest was “Crucea de Piatra” [The Cross of Stone], a brothel neighbourhood located between Calea Vitan and Dristor.