Prostitution in Malta -- Il-prostituzzjoni f'Malta

 

Currently there is a bit of commotion in Malta about this subject.  Prostitution in the country is just one of a list of social topics that the Maltese Labour government hasn't held back from taking by the horns.

 

This is due to the appointment of a Technical Committee for Prostitution Reform that is considering what recommendations to make the Maltese government after a public consultation made on the subject ended in October 2019.1  The government's aim was to protect sex workers from exploitation while strengthening the fight against people trafficking.2

 

Parliamentary Secretary Rosianne Cutajar had declared that this committee was building a legal framework that was to decriminalise sex work.  Currently, prostitution in Malta is already technically legal, but street loitering and brothels are not.

 

Different countries and regions have different legal frameworks.  In Australia, for example, there are states like South Australia, Tasmania and Western Australia that have laws similar to Malta on one side, states and territories like New South Wales, Queensland, Northern Territory and Australian Capital Territory where the industry is decriminalised, as seems to be the intention in Malta.  Somewhere in the middle is Victoria, where only street loitering remains illegal.3

 

This is a difficult subject.  It is said that prostitution is the oldest profession, and in Malta there is evidence of its presence at least since the time of the knights.

 

It is known that those involved in prostitution face stigma, discrimination and lack of rights, lack of health and justice services.  A legal framework of criminalisation means that sex work does not not happen, but happens covertly, due to the fear of criminal consequences and other abuses, which many times means that when the legitimate need for services arises, these are not sought due to this fear.

 

Several persons and organisations, especially those involved in the fight against human trafficking, propose the Nordic model as a legal framework.  The Nordic model is so-called as it was started in Sweden, then arose also in Norway and Iceland and some other countries.  It is intended to reduce the demand for prostitution and reduce the industry, by on the one hand decriminalise the selling of sex but on the other side criminalising its purchase.4

 

The problem I see with this Nordic model is that if the buying of sex remains or becomes a criminal act, the persons offering the sex service still will have the tendency of not turning up when they need some service.  Furthermore, they would have an incentive to offer their sex service covertly, as if their operational location is known, it would be very easy for police to surveil this and catch those going for the service.  In other words, the sex worker/s would have lost their client/s.

 

Proponents of the Nordic model might think this is fine, is this not the intention?  I would ask whether this is what sex workers themselves would like, after all they are in the midst of all this, and many times remain silent due to their fear of consequences.

 

It is a fact that many people enter into sex work for financial reasons; to provide for their kids or families, or to finance their lives.  The Maltese government's consultation document names other factors such as poverty, lack of housing, drug and alcohol abuse and last, but not least, coercion.

 

The law I would like to see would have three principal aspects.  Firstly, that those who wish to exit the industry be given every assistance to do so with specific opportunities being created for them.  Secondly, that those found in the industry against their will find the protection they need, and those responsible for their coercion face consequences.  Thirdly, that those who do want to carry out this work, be given the legal space to offer their services in peace to their clients without fear of persecution to either side, and therefore be legally accepted as full members of society.

 

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Bħalissa hemm daqsxejn ta' għagħa f'Malta fuq dan is-suġġett.  Il-prostituzzjoni fil-pajjiż huwa biss wieħed mil-lista ta' ħwejjeġ soċjali li l-gvern Laburista Malti xejn ma qagħad lura jaqbad minn qrunu.

 

Dan għaliex inħatar Kumitat Tekniku għar-Riforma tal-Prostituzzjoni li qiegħed jikkunsidra x'rakkomandazzjonijiet jagħmel lill-Gvern Malti wara li konsultazzjoni pubblika li għamel fuq is-suġġett temm f'Ottubru 2019.1  L-għan tal-gvern huwa li jipproteġi lill-ħaddiema tas-sess mill-esplojtazzjoni filwaqt li tissaħħaħ il-ġlieda kontra t-traffikar tal-persuni.2

 

Is-Segretarja Parlamentari Rosianne Cutajar kienet stqarret li dan il-kumitat qiegħed jibni qafas legali li għandu jiddekriminalizza x-xogħol tas-sess.  Bħalissa, il-prostituzzjoni f'Malta diġà huwa teknikament legali, imma l-itlajjar fit-toroq u l-briedel mhumiex.  

 

Pajjiżi u reġjuni differenti għandhom oqfsa legali differenti.  Fl-Awstralja, per eżempju, hemm stati bħal South Australia, it-Tasmania u West Australia li għandhom liġijiet simili għal ta' Malta fuq naħa, u stati u territorji bħal New South Wales, Queensland, Northern Territory u Australian Capital Territory fejn l-industrija hija dekriminalizzata, bħal ma jidher li hija l-intenzjoni ta' Malta.  X'imkien fin-nofs hemm Victoria, fejn l-itlajjar fit-toroq biss baqa' llegali.3

 

Dan huwa suġġett diffiċli.  Jingħad li l-prostituzzjoni hija l-eqdem professjoni, u f'Malta hemm evidenza tal-preżenza tagħha talinqas sa minn żmien il-kavallieri.

 

Huwa magħruf li min huwa nvolut fil-prostituzzjoni jiffaċċja stigma, diskriminazzjoni u nuqqas ta' drittijiet, nuqqas ta' servizzi tas-saħħa u ġustizzja.  Qafas legali ta' kriminalizzazzjoni jfisser li x-xogħol tas-sess, mhux ma jsirx, imma jsir minn taħt, minħabba l-biża' ta' konsegwenzi kriminali u abbużi oħra, li ħafna drabi jfisser li meta jkun hemm il-bżonn leġittimu ta' servizzi, dawn ma jintalbux minħabba din il-biża'.

 

Hemm diversi persuni u organizzazzjonijiet, speċjalment dawk li jiġġieldu kontra t-traffikar tal-persuni, li jipproponu l-mudell Nordiku bħala qafas legali.  Il-mudell Nordiku huwa hekk imsejjaħ għax inbeda fl-Isvezja, imbagħad fin-Norveġja, l-Islandja u xi pajjiżi oħra.  Huwa intenzjonat li jnaqqas id-domanda għall-prostituzzjoni u jċekken l-industrija tagħha, billi fuq naħa waħda jiddekriminalizza l-bejgħ tas-sess imma jikkriminalizza x-xiri tiegħu.4

 

Jien il-problema li għandi b'dan il-mudell Nordiku huwa li jekk ix-xiri tas-sess jibqa' jew isir att kriminali, il-persuni li qegħdin joffru s-servizz tas-sess xorta waħda jkollhom it-tendenza li ma jippreżentawx ruħhom jekk ikollhom bżonn ta' servizz.  Ukoll is-servizz tas-sess ikollhom inċentiv li joffruh bil-moħbi, għax jekk il-post minn fejn joperaw ikun magħruf, ikun faċli ħafna għall-pulizija biex jgħassuh u jaqbdu lil min ikun mar għas-servizz.  Fi kliem ieħor, il-ħaddiem jew ħaddiema tas-sess ikunu tilfu l-klijent jew klijenta tagħhom.

 

Dawk li jipproponu l-mudell Nordiku forsi jaħsbu li dan tajjeb, mhux hekk hi l-intenzjoni?  Jien nistaqsi jekk hux hekk iridu l-ħaddiema tas-sess infushom, wara kollox huma qegħdin fiha, u ħafna drabi huma jkunu li jibgħu siekta minħabba l-biża' tal-konsegwenzi.

 

Huwa fatt li ħafna persuni jidħlu fix-xogħol tas-sess għal raġunijiet finanzjarji; biex imantnu t-tfal jew il-familji tagħhom, jew biex jiffinanzjaw ħajjithom.  Il-dokument ta' konsultazzjoni tal-gvern Malti jsemmi wkoll fatturi oħra bħall-faqar, in-nuqqas ta' saqaf fuq ir-ras, abbuż, vizzji tad-drogi u/jew alkoħol, u flaħħarnett, imma mhux l-inqas, oħrajn jiġu mġegħlin.

 

Il-liġi li nixtieq nara jkollha tliet aspetti prinċipali.  L-ewwel tkun li min jixtieq joħroġ mill-industrija jingħata l-għajnuna kollha li jagħmel dan u jinħolqu opportunitajiet apposta għalihom.  It-tieni tkun li dawk li jinsabu f'din l-industrija kontra r-rieda tagħhom isibu l-protezzjoni li għandhom bżonn u min sfurzahom jeħel konsegwenzi.  It-tielet, li dawk li jridu jagħmlu dan ix-xogħol, jingħataw l-ispazju legali li joffru s-servizzi tagħhom bil-kwiet lill-klijenti tagħhom mingħajr biża' ta' persekuzzjoni lil ebda naħa, u għalhekk jiġu legalment aċċettati bħala membri sħaħ tas-soċjetà.

 

 

1https://meae.gov.mt/en/Public_Consultations/OPM/Documents/Human%20trafficking%20reform%20-%20Consultation%20document%20ENG.pdf, retrieved 21/10/2020

2https://meae.gov.mt/en/Public_Consultations/OPM/Pages/Consultations/Reformonhumantraffickingandprostitution.aspx, retrieved 21/10/2020

3https://www.catwa.org.au/prostitution-laws-in-each-state/, retrieved 21/10/2020

4https://www.catwa.org.au/prostitution-laws-in-each-state/, retrieved 21/10/2020

1https://meae.gov.mt/en/Public_Consultations/OPM/Documents/Human%20trafficking%20reform%20-%20Consultation%20document%20ENG.pdf, retrieved 21/10/2020

2https://meae.gov.mt/en/Public_Consultations/OPM/Pages/Consultations/Reformonhumantraffickingandprostitution.aspx, retrieved 21/10/2020

3https://www.catwa.org.au/prostitution-laws-in-each-state/, retrieved 21/10/2020

4https://nordicmodelnow.org/what-is-the-nordic-model/, retrieved 21/10/2020