A draft bill in Germany to protect prostitutes against violence and exploitation could do more harm than good, outreach organizations said in Berlin on Monday.
According to the German Aids Federation, the Women’s Council and religious groups, the first aim of any new legislation should be to strengthen the rights of prostitutes.
Instead, they argued, the planned law added to their surveillance and social stigmatization.
They criticized in particular, the requirement for prostitutes to register with the authorities, saying that this would lead to many women working illegally
Meanwhile, German Chancellor, Angela Merkel’s grand coalition government of Christian Democrats and Social Democrats is trying to overhaul liberal prostitution legislation dating back to 2002 which legitimized the underground industry.
The government wants to oblige prostitutes to remain in regular contact with the authorities and use the consulting service of their local health office.
