punter
Silver Member
PROSTITUTION will be banned from residential areas in WA and clients caught on unlicensed premises could face fines or jail under proposed laws.
Police will also get extra powers to shut down illegal brothels under the law reforms proposed by the state government.
Under the proposals, clients having sex with persons coerced into prostitution would face jail whether they knew the person was coerced or not.
WA Attorney-General Christian Porter announced the planned changes on Thursday, saying prostitutes would also be encouraged and supported to leave the industry.
``What we are trying to achieve first and foremost by this scheme is to get prostitution out of suburban and residential areas,'' he said.
``It will be clearly unlawful to have a prostitution business in such areas and we expect it will be very seriously policed with a range of new powers.''
Mr Porter said the state government, not local governments, would also take ultimate responsibility for who was licensed to run a brothel or be a prostitute and where those businesses could be located.
The industry would be heavily policed and regulated and when infringements occurred, prostitutes would be encouraged to get out of the trade, the attorney-general said.
Mr Porter said the proposed penalty for operating or managing an unlicensed brothel would be up to three years in jail.
He said the penalty for clients caught entering or leaving an unlicensed brothel would be a fine of up to $6000 or up to one year in jail.
Clients who engaged in sex with a person being coerced into prostitution would face a penalty of up to two years in jail, ``irrespective of whether it could be shown they knew the prostitute was coerced'', Mr Porter said.
Where they were aware a person was coerced, penalties of up to 14 years jail would apply, or 20 years jail if the coerced person was a child.
``These provisions place an onus on a client to be certain that a prostitute is acting of their own free will,'' Mr Porter said.
The government planned to have a draft bill ready early next year, he said.
Submissions on the proposed laws can be directed to: Department of the Attorney General: Prostitution Reform Area.
Police will also get extra powers to shut down illegal brothels under the law reforms proposed by the state government.
Under the proposals, clients having sex with persons coerced into prostitution would face jail whether they knew the person was coerced or not.
WA Attorney-General Christian Porter announced the planned changes on Thursday, saying prostitutes would also be encouraged and supported to leave the industry.
``What we are trying to achieve first and foremost by this scheme is to get prostitution out of suburban and residential areas,'' he said.
``It will be clearly unlawful to have a prostitution business in such areas and we expect it will be very seriously policed with a range of new powers.''
Mr Porter said the state government, not local governments, would also take ultimate responsibility for who was licensed to run a brothel or be a prostitute and where those businesses could be located.
The industry would be heavily policed and regulated and when infringements occurred, prostitutes would be encouraged to get out of the trade, the attorney-general said.
Mr Porter said the proposed penalty for operating or managing an unlicensed brothel would be up to three years in jail.
He said the penalty for clients caught entering or leaving an unlicensed brothel would be a fine of up to $6000 or up to one year in jail.
Clients who engaged in sex with a person being coerced into prostitution would face a penalty of up to two years in jail, ``irrespective of whether it could be shown they knew the prostitute was coerced'', Mr Porter said.
Where they were aware a person was coerced, penalties of up to 14 years jail would apply, or 20 years jail if the coerced person was a child.
``These provisions place an onus on a client to be certain that a prostitute is acting of their own free will,'' Mr Porter said.
The government planned to have a draft bill ready early next year, he said.
Submissions on the proposed laws can be directed to: Department of the Attorney General: Prostitution Reform Area.
