Prostitution in Cyprus
Prostitution in Cyprus is not illegal,
In 2015, MP Rikkos Mappourides called for prostitution in Cyprus to be legalised.[3]
History
The ancient Greek goddess of love, Aphrodite, was reputed to have been born near Paphos, and a temple was built on the site. From the 5th century BC sacred prostitution took place at the temple. Every woman in the land was expected to make a journey to the temple once in her lifetime and have sex in exchange for money in the temple grounds.[4]
Following the island coming under
In an effort to reduce the spread of
In 1942 it was estimated that there were 740 prostitutes working on the island, mainly in Nicosia, Famagusta and Limassol. Every major town except Kyrenia had a venereal clinic. Twelve prophylactic centres were established and a 200-bed venereal ward at Nicosia General Hospital.[5]
Sex trafficking
Cyprus is a source and destination country for women and children subjected to sex trafficking. Women, primarily from Eastern Europe, Vietnam, India, and sub-Saharan Africa, are subjected to sex trafficking. Sex trafficking occurs in private apartments and hotels, on the street, and within commercial sex outlets in Cyprus including bars, pubs, coffee shops, and cabarets. Some female sex trafficking victims are recruited with false promises of marriage or work as barmaids or hostesses. Unaccompanied children, children of migrants, Romani, and asylum-seekers are especially vulnerable to sex trafficking.[6]
Law 60(I) of 2014 prohibits all forms of trafficking and prescribes penalties of up to 20 years imprisonment. The government investigated 13 suspects for sex trafficking in 2016 (seven in 2015).[6]
The United States Department of State Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons ranks Cyprus as a 'Tier 1' country.[7]
Northern Cyprus
The
NGOs reported a number of women entered the TRNC on three-month tourist or student visas and engaged in prostitution in apartments in north Nicosia, Kyrenia, and Famagusta.[6]
Northern Cyprus has become a destination for sex tourism.[9]
Sex trafficking in Northern Cyprus
The area is increasingly a destination for women from Central Asia, Eastern Europe, and Africa who are subjected to forced prostitution in nightclubs licensed and regulated by the Turkish Cypriot administration. Nightclubs provide a significant source of tax revenue for the Turkish Cypriot administration; media reports estimated nightclub owners pay between 20 and 30 million Turkish lira ($5.7–8.5 million) in taxes annually.[6]
As the TRNC is not recognised by the United States, the United States Department of State Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons does not give the area a country ranking. If it did it would be Tier 3.[6]
See also
References
- ^ a b "Sex Work Law - Countries". Sexuality, Poverty and Law. Retrieved 18 February 2018.
- ^ a b "Country Report on Human Rights Practices in Cyprus". State.gov. 11 March 2008. Retrieved 31 March 2010.
- ^ Christou, Jean (24 March 2015). "Uproar over call to legalise prostitution - Cyprus Mail". Cyprus Mail. Retrieved 18 February 2018.
- ^ Watson, Andrea (18 October 2016). "It was an ancient form of sex tourism". BBC. Retrieved 18 February 2018.
- ^ ISBN 9780857731029.
- ^ a b c d e f "Cyprus 2017 Trafficking in Persons Report". U.S. Department of State. Archived from the original on 3 July 2017. Retrieved 18 February 2018. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
- ^ "Cyprus 2018 Trafficking in Persons Report". U.S. Department of State. Archived from the original on 29 July 2018. Retrieved 29 July 2018.
- CiteSeerX 10.1.1.691.6938.
- ^ "Sex tourism is booming in Northern Cyprus". Cyprus Updates. 7 June 2011. Retrieved 25 November 2017.