Norway votes to adopt Sweden's model

[sam]

Labour Votes to Limit Sex Trade
23 Apr 2007
http://www.aftenposten.no/english/local ... 750792.ece


It will probably still be legal to sell sexual services in Norway, but soon illegal to buy them. The country's powerful Labour Party agreed over the weekend to limit a sex trade that's recently turned aggressive, especially in the capital.

Labour, revitalized and once again Norway's largest political party, listened to calls for a crackdown on street prostitution. A majority of its delegates agreed to ban the purchase of sexual services at the party's annual meeting, assuring majority support for expected legislation aimed mostly at getting pushy prostitutes off the street.

Debate was heated, though, with some Labour politicians (including Justice Minister Knut Storberget) arguing that a ban on buying sex won't solve the problem. Some also argued that a ban could make life even more difficult for prostitutes, although the majority believed a ban can hinder human trafficking.

One female prostitute from Eastern Europe who's lately been working on Oslo's streets called the proposed ban "crazy" as long as selling sex remains legal. She said, though, that she'd probably "go home," which seems to be exactly what the politicians and Norwegian prostitutes want.

An influx of foreign prostitutes has literally taken market share from Norwegian prostitutes, and the foreigners are known for being more aggressive. They've also expanded the trade from traditional areas of town (most recently, the streets behind the Akershus Fortress called Kvadraturen) to such main streets as Karl Johans Gate, and that's raised the ire of locals and tourists alike.

It remains unclear whether prostitutes' customers face fines or jail terms if caught buying sexual services. Storberget promised to draft a proposed law "as quickly as possible" and police will get more resources to enforce it.