The State council ordered on Tuesday, the suspension of police regulatory implementations in the district of Saint-Josse that was made on 30 November last year, relating to so-called window prostitution. Amongst other things, the Council has concluded, that such regulations will adversely affect the occupation's profitability.
“Individual districts are not competent to operate a licence system - for which you have to be a licence holder to be able to be a prostitute - or to issue regulation within the field of prostitution, accompanied by administrative penalties and closing hours.” So said Vincent Letellier, the barrister for the prostitutes who lodged an action with the Council. “That is within the jurisdiction of the federal government to decide.”
The Utsopi trade union (the Union of Sex Workers) are thrilled with this decision in their favour. “From the regulation of the City of Brussels, which was partially cancelled for the Alhambr district, originally issued by Emir Kir in Saint-Josse. This just shows that you can't make policies which stigmatise sex workers,” Maxime Maes, the spokeswomen for the union stated.
"There is certainly action to be taken, in particular in relation to human trafficking, but these should be discussed with directly affected stakeholders." The Council repealed the article of the City of Brussels regulations which determines fines imposed upon prostitutes soliciting work and also upon their clients.
(Source: Belga)
