Only a small majority of the European Parliament supported the report by Maria Noichl (S&D, German) calling for the purchase of sexual services to be criminalised. The text, put to the vote at the plenary session in Strasbourg on Thursday 14 September, received 234 votes in favour, 175 against and 122 abstentions.
While it advocates effective programmes for exiting prostitution, the decriminalisation of workers and awareness-raising campaigns, it is one particular measure that has divided...