NSWP write open letter to the Prime Minister, the Government of Spain, and the leaders of all political parties in the Congress of Deputies regarding the legislative proposals to amend the Spanish Penal Code and introduce new provisions regarding sex work

Author
NSWP

NSWP have written an open letter to the Prime Minister, the Government of Spain, and the leaders of all political parties in the Congress of Deputies regarding the legislative proposals to amend the Spanish Penal Code and introduce new provisions regarding sex work. The proposed reforms include amending the Penal Code to extend the punishment of third parties to include non-coercive relationships and decouple it from exploitation and consent, violating sex workers’ right to housing and the security of sex workers, many of whom live and work in the same place. They introduce fines and a criminal record for the purchasers of sex for agreeing to “perform acts of a sexual nature in exchange for money or other financial consideration”.

NSWP’s open letter pulls together the international evidence against the specific proposals being made, and present the case for the decriminalisation of sex work.

Efforts to repress or eradicate sex work not only fail to recognise sex workers as rights bearers, but also foster punitive enforcement practices, exacerbate vulnerability to violence and exploitation, and fuel stigma and discrimination. In order to support the human rights and self-determination of sex workers, the Government of Spain must take measures to fully decriminalise all aspects of sex work, including the purchase of sexual services.

Read and download the full letter in English and Spanish here.