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Oil Legalise the sex trade, say judges
December 11, 2009 Edition 2
NEW DELHI: India's Supreme Court has asked the government to consider legalising prostitution if it is unable to curb it with punitive measures.
The court, in remarks on Wednesday, said legalising the sex trade would be a better option to avoid trafficking of women and help rehabilitate sex workers.
"When you say it is the world's oldest profession and 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 during a case on child trafficking
"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 were quoted as saying by the Times of India. "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.
According to a government study, there are an three million female sex workers in the country. Many prostitutes are underage, as nearly 30 percent are believed to be children entering, or being forced to enter, the sex trade between the ages of 12 and 15. - Sapa-dpa
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