In this picture made Friday, May 8, , Eva full name not given poses inside the Artemis brothel in Berlin. Like so many other businesses, Europe's largest legalized prostitution industry is having to adapt to the economic downturn.
In response, clubs and brothels are increasingly marketing themselves either as high-class, exclusive spas, or as bargain basements of delight. BERLIN -- German legislation designed to make life safer for sex workers, including making the use of a condom mandatory, and a stricter "no means no" law both passed their final hurdles Friday with approval from the upper house of Parliament.
Legislation in that legalized prostitution gave sex workers social benefits but also led to the rapid growth of unregulated brothels, leading to calls for tighter controls. The new legislation provides for stricter regulation of such establishments, and foresees regular confidential conversations with sex workers to help ensure enforcement.
Schwesig said many men and women sex workers have been "defenceless against the power of brothel owners" but the new law will "protect them from exploitation and violence. The so-called "no means no" law aims to make it easier for victims of sex crimes to file criminal complaints by making all unwanted sexual activity illegal, including if the victim is not in a condition to give consent. German law previously required victims to show that they physically resisted attack before charges for rape and other sexual assaults could be brought.
Sign up for our weekly email newsletter delving into climate science and life on a changing planet. Reddit Share. It goes into effect immediately after it is formally signed by the country's president.
