Taiwan Regulates but Doesn't Criminalize Prostitution

Along with prostitution often goes crime. Now Taiwan has initiated a process to legalize prostitution, making it the latest place to decriminalize sex for sale.

This year, Taiwan sex workers will no longer be picked up as criminals and will get the same rights their customers or clients get. In Taiwan, as in other countries like the United States, the criminal has been the prostitute not the client. Taiwan recognizes this and is changing its law for that reason, according to a government spokesperson. "Now the client gets off free, but the prostitute gets punished, and that's not fair," spokesman Su Jun-pin said. Even though prostitution was outlawed in Taiwan 11 years ago, it has a brisk prostitution trade, with an estimated 600,000 people who are involved in sex-related jobs. More and more people have wanted a change in the law, with mostly local religious groups the ones in opposition. New Zealand began allowing brothels to operate without fear of prosecution in 2003, after the old laws outlawing prostitution were overturned. Bangladesh decriminalized the sex trade in 2000, but only for women. But what has been the effect of decriminalization? There have been complaints from New Zealand of problems created by allowing brothels to operate freely. In a report published May 2008 by the Ministry of Justice of New Zealand some problems remain. For one thing there are 11% of prostitutes who work the streets and are harassed by people who create a nuisance. Secondly some brothels have been located in neighborhoods where the folks have been concerned about the noise and the fact they have a place of prostitution nearby which they don’t like. The Ministry agrees that it’s a problem having brothels in residential neighborhoods and agrees with folks on that matter. Furthermore it notes that whereas women may think they will be safe after decriminalization, there are still problems inherent with the trade. Sweden has a novel way of treating prostitution. In 1999 the country made it legal, But it leaves purchasers of sex subject to fines and to humiliation by being publicly exposed. Two researchers from London Metropolitan University determined the Swedish law had reduced street hookers or prostitutes working independently in the open, by two-thirds. Others say, it simply drove the hookers indoors. Interestingly enough, at a time when money is tight for California folk, some authorities from there believe legalizing both marijuana and prostitution may help finances by allowing California to tax both and get income to lucrative opportunities. One wonders what the money raised might be used for, as gambling proceeds were said to be set up to bring needed funds for education. So the question asked by some might be, should “sin” be sold to school the kids?