Switzerland The clients of under-age prostitutes may soon be prosecuted

Project : Regional Office 19 Aug 2011 | child rights sexual exploitation

Terre des hommes (Tdh) has expressed its satisfaction about the revision of the penal code to improve the protection of minors, being discussed today by the Federal Council. For the past three years, the first Swiss organisation for child relief has been demanding that the clients of under-age prostitutes can be taken to court, closing this unacceptable loophole in Swiss law.

Tdh is pleased about the Swiss willingness to adhere to the convention of the Council of Europe with regard to the protection of children from exploitation and sexual abuse. It upholds the legal measures that will allow sentences of up to five years imprisonment for the making, possession and transmission of material showing sexual acts or violence towards under-age persons. It is necessary to punish explicitly the use of such material, as well as the recruiting of children for any pornographic representation. The effect must be deterrent.

“The 16- and 17-year-old girls and boys will be protected from prostitution and sexual exploitation by the proposed revision: it would be the wrong course to take them to court”, observed Ignacio Packer, programme director at Terre des hommes. “On the other hand, the Federal Council proposes – quite correctly – to penalise their clients with up to three years in prison.” Procurers, and people who run brothels or escort services which encourage the exploitation of adolescents, will risk up to ten years’ imprisonment. Tdh is only surprised and saddened at all the years wasted before such discussions about sound legal measures to promote child protection were held. (Re-published from the tdh.ch website)