Prague City Hall approves bill to legalize prostitution

In anther attempt to get prostitution in the capital under control, Prague City Hall approved on Thursday a bill that would legalize prostitution in the Czech Republic. The city will now send the bill to the lower house; if approved by both chambers of the Parliament, the bill would require prostitutes to apply for permits, pay taxes and social insurance, and undergo regular check-ups.

There are some 70 brothels in the Czech capital, with an estimated several thousand women working in them. The Czech Republic does not recognize prostitution but does not explicitly ban it either. The approval of the bill on prostitution would however require other changes to the legislation; most importantly, the country would have to quit a 1950’s convention on human trafficking.

Author: Jan Richter