Sex trade disappears from downtown Helsinki
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After Nightclub Mikado, one of the most well-known places for picking up a prostitute in Helsinki, was closed last December, the sales of sex services disappeared from the streets of the city centre. Street prostitution is not reported to have increased in other parts of the city, either.
However, the availability of paid sex services in Helsinki has not disappeared anywhere. Prostitutes have just largely moved off into the restaurants in the district of Punavuori.
Both Jaana Kauppinen of the Prostitute Counselling Centre Pro-Tukipiste and Anna Kontula of SALLI - United Sex Professionals of Finland, report that prostitution has spread to a larger number of restaurants in Helsinki during recent months.
An increasing number of sex workers can be found in a nightclub called Punavuoren Soho. According to some Finnish newspapers, the former managing director of the company that owned Restaurant Mikado bought Soho in January. At that point the place started attracting prostitutes and clients.
However, according to information gathered by Helsingin Sanomat, the ownership cannot be confirmed.
Also Inspector Lasse Jortikka of the Helsinki Police confirms that street prostitution has not increased in Helsinki after Mikado was closed. On the contrary, sex trade in the streets of Helsinki has decreased, according to Jortikka.
Researcher Anna Kontula does not believe that the sales of sex services would have transferred from restaurants onto the internet. "The number of chat rooms or prostitutes' advertisements has not increased", says Kontula.
Instead, Kontula reports that some prostitutes have changed their ways of operation, as they anticipate that the purchase of sexual services is soon to be totally banned and criminalised in the country. For example, they do not advertise any more.
At present there is only a ban on selling and buying sexual services in public places including restaurants. Persons violating the ban can get fines.
http://www.hs.fi/english/article/Sex+trade+disappears+from+downtown+Helsinki/1135218946106
print this
After Nightclub Mikado, one of the most well-known places for picking up a prostitute in Helsinki, was closed last December, the sales of sex services disappeared from the streets of the city centre. Street prostitution is not reported to have increased in other parts of the city, either.
However, the availability of paid sex services in Helsinki has not disappeared anywhere. Prostitutes have just largely moved off into the restaurants in the district of Punavuori.
Both Jaana Kauppinen of the Prostitute Counselling Centre Pro-Tukipiste and Anna Kontula of SALLI - United Sex Professionals of Finland, report that prostitution has spread to a larger number of restaurants in Helsinki during recent months.
An increasing number of sex workers can be found in a nightclub called Punavuoren Soho. According to some Finnish newspapers, the former managing director of the company that owned Restaurant Mikado bought Soho in January. At that point the place started attracting prostitutes and clients.
However, according to information gathered by Helsingin Sanomat, the ownership cannot be confirmed.
Also Inspector Lasse Jortikka of the Helsinki Police confirms that street prostitution has not increased in Helsinki after Mikado was closed. On the contrary, sex trade in the streets of Helsinki has decreased, according to Jortikka.
Researcher Anna Kontula does not believe that the sales of sex services would have transferred from restaurants onto the internet. "The number of chat rooms or prostitutes' advertisements has not increased", says Kontula.
Instead, Kontula reports that some prostitutes have changed their ways of operation, as they anticipate that the purchase of sexual services is soon to be totally banned and criminalised in the country. For example, they do not advertise any more.
At present there is only a ban on selling and buying sexual services in public places including restaurants. Persons violating the ban can get fines.
http://www.hs.fi/english/article/Sex+trade+disappears+from+downtown+Helsinki/1135218946106