Strengthening solutions to prevent and combat prostitution

In the province, there are currently 3,968 business and service establishments that are prone to prostitution, including 1,170 accommodation establishments (hotels, motels, boarding houses, rental houses, etc.), 2 dance clubs, 565 karaoke establishments, massage establishments and 2,231 other business establishments. Although the prostitution situation has not yet become a hot spot, the situation is quite complicated, especially prostitution involving the use of drugs and other addictive substances.

Strengthening solutions to prevent and combat prostitution Contest to learn about legal knowledge on preventing and combating social evils at the Center for Vocational Education - Continuing Education of Ngoc Lac district.

Many difficulties and challenges

According to reports from authorities, brothel owners, brokers and prostitutes use increasingly sophisticated tricks and methods of operation such as: brothel owners and motel owners do not directly raise or manage prostitutes but often hide their faces and operate prostitutes over the phone; brothel owners and freelance prostitutes often leave their contact phone numbers with motel owners, hotel receptionists, security guards, etc. of hotels and motels so that when customers have a need, they can contact them; prostitutes and sex buyers use websites, online services, "forums", social networking sites such as Facebook, Zalo, Telegram... to post sexy photos, get to know each other, "chat sex" to find partners to buy and sell sex, etc., making it difficult for authorities to detect and handle.

Meanwhile, some legal regulations on prostitution prevention and control are no longer suitable for reality, not meeting the requirements of fighting and preventing prostitution in the new situation. The implementation of the program to prevent and control prostitution with socio -economic development programs has not been flexible. The management of functional agencies over business establishments, motels, hotels, massage services... is still loose, with many loopholes. Inspection and control work is not regular, and the effectiveness is not high. On the other hand, the awareness of a part of the people is still distorted, they have a loose and free lifestyle, and do not attach importance to preventing and controlling prostitution in the place where they live. Some Party committees and authorities at all levels have not really paid attention to propaganda work, fighting and preventing prostitution, so the desired results have not been achieved.

Fundamental solutions

In order to reduce violations of the law related to prostitution, contribute to ensuring security, order and social safety; limit the impacts caused by prostitution on socio-economic development, the Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee has issued a plan to implement prostitution prevention and control in Thanh Hoa province in 2023; a plan for inter-sectoral inspection of prostitution prevention and control, karaoke service business, discotheque service business in Thanh Hoa province in 2023, and many other directive documents.

Accordingly, the People's Committees of districts, towns, cities and relevant departments, branches and units have issued plans to implement the program to prevent and combat prostitution in 2023. At the same time, they actively direct member units to strengthen the work of preventing and combating prostitution, not allowing complicated situations of prostitution to occur in residential areas. In particular, information and propaganda work has been widely deployed by departments, branches, unions; People's Committees of districts, towns and cities with many rich and diverse forms.

In the first 6 months of 2023, the Department of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs coordinated with 10 vocational training institutions to organize 10 competitions to learn about legal knowledge on preventing and combating drug abuse with the participation of more than 6,000 students, students and teachers; organized the printing and distribution of 10,000 leaflets on preventing and combating prostitution to districts, towns and cities. The Department of Information and Communications trained nearly 250 grassroots propagandists on editing, writing news and propaganda articles on preventing and combating drug abuse and prostitution. Directed the Department of Culture and Information of districts, towns and cities to guide the district and commune-level radio stations to develop columns with hundreds of news and propaganda articles on preventing and combating prostitution.

The Department of Education and Training integrates anti-prostitution activities into the movement "Building happy schools". 100% of the units under the department organize rallies, demonstrate forces, and respond to the propaganda "Peak month of anti-drug and anti-prostitution"... As a result, more than 120,812 students in high schools and 52,421 teachers and staff participated in the propaganda and had basic knowledge in anti-prostitution.

The People's Committees of districts, towns and cities direct departments, offices, People's Committees of communes, wards and towns to step up propaganda work, innovate the content and form of propaganda, educate on policies and laws on prostitution prevention and control. Propagate widely to all villages and residential groups; mobilize the combined strength of the whole society to raise awareness of the fight against prostitution. Integrate the task of preventing and combating prostitution with the implementation of socio-economic development programs; social security, social assistance; drug prevention; HIV/AIDS prevention; human trafficking prevention. Link the movement of the whole people's solidarity to build a cultural life in residential areas with the movement of the whole people to protect national security...

In performing their duties, the two-level procuracy has strengthened the inspection of the reception and handling of denunciations and reports of crimes, especially denunciations and reports of crimes related to prostitution. The two-level prosecution agencies have closely coordinated in investigating, prosecuting and trying prostitution cases according to the provisions of the Criminal Procedure Code and the coordination regulations between the three sectors. Through inter-sectoral inspections at 236 service establishments, one establishment was found to have violated the regulations on prostitution prevention and control. The police forces at all levels have arrested and handled 9 cases related to prostitution, arresting 47 subjects. Among them are 12 brothel owners, prostitution brokers, 18 prostitutes, and 17 sex buyers. By the end of June 2023, the procuracy at all levels had accepted 7 cases and 13 defendants. The court accepted and handled 5 cases and 11 defendants.

The work of propaganda, management, inspection, examination and strict handling of violations of the law and crimes related to prostitution has created a strong change in the awareness and actions of organizations, unions at all levels, sectors and the whole society in preventing and combating prostitution. Thereby, contributing to repelling and eliminating social evils, building the homeland and country to be more and more prosperous and happy.

Article and photos: Mai Phuong

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