New penalties for prostitutes.

10 Feb, 2006

The Barcelona city council has introduced new regulations limiting soliciting on the streets. Sex workers exercising their trade within 200m of any educational institution or interrupting traffic flow are now liable to fines of between 120 and 750, with severe penalties for repeat offenders. The council agreed a two-week period of grace to allow social workers to inform prostitutes about the new laws but sex workers associations have complained that the Guardia Urbana has not respected this agreement. The Raval district in Cuidad Vella is one of the citys major red-light areas, which the Ajuntamento de Barcelona wants to clean up.