Some Things to Know about Prostitution in Italy
Prostitution is the offering of sexual services and there is nothing positive about prostitution from a “normal” perspective. There has always been controversy about prostitution, especially regarding the exploitation of women, its impact on society, the spread of sexual diseases, and much more. But we won’t go that far. We’ll talk about some of the things you need to know about prostitution in Italy, a Southern European country with a strong Catholic tradition.
In Italy, prostitution is not a crime and since practicing prostitution in Italy is not covered under the Penal Code, therefore, they cannot arrest or imprison you for it. Whether you are a sex peddler or a buyer of sex services, you will not be caught by the law as long as in your “activity” you are not doing anything harmful to others.
However, unlike some other European countries, Switzerland for example, prostitution is not considered work and as a result, sex workers are not required to pay taxes. What they do is not considered work. Practically, when you are looking for the best escort Firenze service, all your activities then (with the escort girl you choose) are not monitored and protected by the government.
Brothels are illegal
In 1958, the “Merlin’s Law” was approved in Italy, not without controversy. Its name comes from the fact that it was promoted by Senator Lina Merlin (the first woman in the Italian Senate). In an attempt to put an end to the poor working and hygiene conditions that prostitutes endured in brothels (ironically called “case di tolleranza” in Italian) and the exploitation they suffered, the law encouraged the closure of such houses. From then until today, they remain illegal. The implication is that while prostitution is legal, anyone who encourages or “directs” this kind of activity is committing a crime. In addition, human exploitation and trafficking are illegal and punishable.
In some areas, paying for sex is a crime.
This fact depends on laws at the local level (City Council) and not on laws at the state level (Central Government). In Padua (and in fact, in most Italian cities), if you are caught paying for such services, you will be fined (you will not be imprisoned but will have to pay the fine).
Most sex workers are foreigners
They usually come from Eastern Europe, Nigeria, and Latin America. For your information, Latin America is the origin of many transgender prostitutes in Italy. Some sex workers are victims of human trafficking and others offer sex services of their own free will.
The ambiguous status of prostitution in Italy has led to the emergence of online platforms that “bridge the gap between pleasure seekers and pleasure givers”. They compete to offer the best sex workers and luckily for consumers, these platforms provide a variety of options, up to “the most bizarre”.
If you are a man going on a business trip to Italy alone, finding an escort Prato, for example, is as easy as running a few clicks.