On Thursday 31 August, the European Court of Human Rights declared admissible the request presented by 260 prostitutes. They are calling for the repeal of the 2016 French law that penalizes clients of prostitutes.
They had appealed to the European Court in December 2019, after being rejected several times by the French authorities.
A law that makes prostitutes precarious
As detailed in the ECHR, the applicants are 260 men and women of various nationalities who indicate “to exercise the activity of prostitution in a lawful manner according to the provisions of French law” AND “denounce the criminalization of the purchase of sexual relations, including between consenting adults, established by law n° 2016-444 of April 13, 2016 “aimed at strengthening the fight against the prostitution system and supporting prostitutes” ».
The reason for their request? A law with harmful consequences that would make them precarious in the performance of their duties: “According to the applicants, who legally practice prostitution, the criminalization of clients of prostitution pushes prostitutes underground and into isolation, exposes them to greater risks to their physical integrity and their lives, and affects their freedom to define the terms of their private life » the court continues.
A significant step forward, which benefits from the support of associations
As summarized by the newspaper The crossthe 260 instigators of the action“supported by about twenty associations, therefore believe that the 2016 law violates articles 2 (right to life), 3 (prohibition of inhuman or degrading treatment) and 8 (right to respect for private and family life) of the European Convention for the protection of human rights ».
The ECHR will rule on the merits of the request in the coming months. This first response from the Court is in any case encouraging, considering that over 90% of the appeals addressed to the ECHR are declared inadmissible.
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Source: Madmoizelle
Mary Crossley is an author at “The Fashion Vibes”. She is a seasoned journalist who is dedicated to delivering the latest news to her readers. With a keen sense of what’s important, Mary covers a wide range of topics, from politics to lifestyle and everything in between.
