Studies reveal the province of Alicante as the most tolerant towards prostitution and has highest number of brothels

The Valencia region’s Minister of Justice, Interior and Public Administration, Gabriela Bravo, has indicated that two studies carried out by the University of Valencia and the Miguel Hernández University of Elche within the framework of the Valencian Forum for the Abolition of Prostitution reveal that the province of Alicante ‒also of being the one that concentrates the most brothels of the three‒ is where its population has a greater tolerance towards this form of gender violence.

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This was explained by the minister in her speech at the II Conference against Trafficking and Sexual Exploitation of Women, Girls and Boys that was held this Wednesday at the Elche Congress Centre.

Bravo has emphasised the data on the incidence of prostitution in the province of Alicante that were revealed by the studies commissioned by the Ministry to the universities of Valencia and Elche within the framework of the Valencian Forum for the Abolition of Prostitution.

The minister lamented that tolerance towards prostitution is significantly higher in the province of Alicante: 53% compared to the regional average of 39%, according to the study carried out by the Miguel Hernández University of the capital of Elche.

For its part, the report from the Universitat de València revealed that the Marina Alta and Vega Baja regions constitute authentic “sex routes” due to the number of hostess clubs they bring together. In fact, of the 164 establishments identified in 2021 as places where women were prostituted, 74 were in the province of Alicante, 73 in Valencia -with a 72% larger population- and 17 in Castellón. To this we must add the large concentration of advertisements on the Internet of flats where prostitution is practiced that are located in the urban centres of Benidorm and the Alicante capital.

To fight against all this, the Minister explained that initiatives such as the development of a model of abolitionist ordinance that has been made available to municipalities is being “a successful project” that is being processed by many local corporations. This ordinance includes, among other measures, sanctions for those who demand paid sex that can reach 3,000 euro.

For the minister, the main idea pursued by the abolitionist ordinance “is the sanction of demand” because “prostitution exists because there are men willing to pay for sex with women whom they consider pure merchandise.” In addition, the ordinance not only provides for the sanction of clients, but also those who favour, mediate or advertise prostitution.

However, Bravo has highlighted that the ordinance “goes beyond the sanction of the brothels” because “it also incorporates the obligation on the part of the municipalities to implement a comprehensive plan to help women to be able to build a worthy life. And we are also working on that now.”

“La Valenciana is the only autonomous community that is currently leading a decisive strategy in Spain for the abolition of prostitution”, said Gabriela Bravo. An objective for which, once again, he has demanded “a comprehensive state law.” However, “while this law arrives, the Generalitat will continue to work through the reforms that we have launched, such as the Show Law or the Highway Law to end roadside prostitution, to make Valencia the first autonomous community free of prostitution”, he concluded.