Croatia’s government has proposed fines of about €1,310 – about twice the average monthly salary – for prostitutes and their customers, targeting buyers of sex for the first time.
Current legislation in the Balkan state already outlaws prostitution, but only sex workers have been prosecuted, not their clients.
Attempts by some liberal groups to legalise prostitution have never been seriously considered in the strongly Catholic country, which is due to join the EU next July.
The proposed bill would set fines of up to 10,000 Croatian kunas (€1,310) for both buyers and sellers of sex. The current fine for prostitutes is only 800 kunas.
The law would also impose fines of up to 5,000 kunas for people who have sex or expose themselves in public places. – (Reuters)