PARIS (Reuters) – A group of French celebrities including singer Charles Aznavour and actress Catherine Deneuve have signed a petition against a socialist proposal to punish clients of prostitutes.
Next week, a French parliament committee will review a proposal by the ruling socialist party faction to scrap sanctions on soliciting and instead punish prostitutes’ customers with fines. Parliament is expected to vote on the proposal in December.
“Without supporting or promoting prostitution, we refuse the criminalisation of people who prostitute themselves and those who use their services,” some 70 French celebrities, including former socialist culture minister Jack Lang, said in a statement published in French media yesterday.
Ageing French singer Antoine, who took the initiative for the petition, told French daily Le Figaro the government should continue fighting sexual slavery but should not criminalise prostitution and that those who prostitute themselves should have the same rights as other workers.
Prostitution is not illegal in France, which has an estimated 18,000 to 20,000 prostitutes according to a 2012 report by the Scelles Foundation, but there are laws against pimping, human trafficking and soliciting sex in public.
