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R/£ Judges ask India to legalise prostitution
December 11, 2009 Edition 2
NEW DELHI: India's Supreme Court has asked the government to consider legalising prostitution if it was unable to curb it with punitive measures, news reports said yesterday.
The court said legalising the sex trade would be a better option to avoid trafficking of women and help rehabilitation of sex workers, the Asian Age newspaper said.
"When you are not able to curb it by laws, why don't you legalise it?" Judges Dalveer Bhandari and AK Patnaik asked government solicitor Gopal Subramaniam. "You can then monitor the trade, rehabilitate and provide medical aid to those involved."
The court's comments came while hearing a case on child trafficking filed by a volunteer organisation. "The sex workers have been operating in one way or the other and nowhere in the world have they been able to curb it by legislation," the judges said.
"In some cases, the trade is carried out in a sophisticated manner. So, why don't you legalise it?"
The solicitor said the government would look into the court's suggestions.
Although prostitution is illegal in India, it is a flourishing industry in several states.
Many prostitutes are underage, as nearly 30 percent are believed to be children between the ages of 12 and 15, entering, or being forced to enter, the sex trade. - Sapa-dpa
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