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Amsterdam seeks stricter brothel rules
By Joan Clements

Amsterdam authorities have proposed raising the legal age for women working in brothels in the city’s Red Light District from 18 to 23 as part of a series of new measures designed to tackle forced prostitution.

Lodwijk Asscher, the deputy mayor, said prostitution should be banned between the hours of 4am and 8am in an effort to fight crime in the district, a famous destination for British stag parties.

“Only the biggest creeps and boozers are walking around at those hours,” he said on Dutch radio. “Women really dread working then and sometimes the most vulnerable are used.”

According to Mr Asscher, young prostitutes working in the area are more vulnerable than their older colleagues to “brutal” sex trade gangs.

“For instance, a young Bulgarian girl of 18, far from home, brought here under false pretences, beaten up and forced into prostitution, will be less likely to seek help from the authorities than a woman of 23 or older” he said.

The new legislation also would encourage women to register at Amsterdam’s Chamber of Commerce and at the city’s official medical centre.