Summary
Prostitution between adults is not punishable in Greece, which follows the regulationist model, provided it is a free choice. What is punished, however, is procuring, coercion, living off the earnings of prostitution, and human trafficking. This page explains the legal framework and the related felonies. This information is general and is no substitute for individual legal advice.
Contents
- Is prostitution prohibited?
- Is the sex worker’s “client” punished?
- How is the sex worker protected?
- What is procuring, and how is it punished?
- What is “sex trafficking”?
- Is the “pimp” punished?
Frequently asked questions — prostitution
Is prostitution prohibited?
Not generally. Greece, like other European countries (for example, Germany and the Netherlands), follows the regulationist model: it permits prostitution to be carried out in a state-regulated way. Prostitution between adults is not punishable, provided it is the free and informed choice of the prostituted person, subject to conditions applying both to the individuals and to the premises. Some countries (for example, Sweden, France and Canada) follow the “prohibitionist” (Nordic) model.
Is the sex worker’s “client” punished?
No, unless they perform sexual acts with a minor for payment (Art. 351Α GCC), or with a person held in a condition of slavery (a victim of human trafficking, Art. 323Α §6 GCC), or someone who is being directly coerced. In the Nordic-model countries the client is always punished, but not the prostituted person.
How is the sex worker protected?
While prostitution itself is not punishable, what is punished is the support and promotion of it, coercion into prostitution, and living off the earnings of prostitution.
What is procuring, and how is it punished?
Procuring is punished as a felony where it involves minors and as a misdemeanour where it involves adults (in the latter case only where the perpetrator acts “on a professional basis”). Procuring is committed by anyone who promotes, drives, harbours, coerces or facilitates the prostitution of other persons (Art. 349 GCC). The courts have consistently punished promotion only where it concerned a person who had not already been working as a prostitute.
What is “sex trafficking”?
It has been renamed: “sex trafficking” was absorbed into the offence of “human trafficking” (Art. 323Α GCC). It is a felony for anyone to coerce or deceive another person for the purpose of their sexual exploitation. The classic case is that of foreign women brought in on a false promise of work and then held captive.
Is the “pimp” punished?
Yes, even where they do nothing directly. The law describes the figure of the “ponce”, who continuously exploits and lives off the earnings of the prostituted person (Art. 349 §3 GCC).