How does the government intend to fight against underage prostitution?

Virginie Riva, edited by Manon Fossat 1:50 p.m., November 15, 2021

The prostitution of minors concerns between 7,000 and 10,000 young people in France.

Today, all contacts can be made on social networks and meetings take place during parties or in Airbnbs.

The whole difficulty is therefore to be able to identify this phenomenon and better identify the pimps.

Because the latter are often in the close entourage of the young woman, like the boyfriend, which implies that the victim does not recognize himself victim.

There is therefore no complaint or prosecution.

So to fight against this phenomenon, prevent it and fight it, the government presents this Monday an interministerial plan, endowed with 14 million euros, deployed in 2021 and 2022. 

"Quick money"

A situation in which this 15-year-old girl, followed by the Entr'acte association in Lille, found herself.

She admits that victims often have a lot of money at stake.

"When you have a job you make 1,200 euros per month. We are at 200 euros per day so that makes us 10,000 euros per month. It's not easy money, but it's money fast. And right now I haven't found any other way to make so much money in such a short time, "she explains. 

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The plan presented Monday afternoon is led by Adrien Taquet, Minister in charge of Children, and involves the ministries of Justice, the Interior, National Education, Digital, the City, Tourism and of Equality between women and men.

The idea is not necessarily to increase the penalties - which can already range from 7 to 15 years in prison for clients and for pimps - but rather to have referents in each prosecutor's office, assures Europe 1 the entourage of Adrien Taquet.

It is also a question of providing new means of investigation.

In Paris, for example, the judicial police created in September a specialized group on the subject within the brigade for the protection of minors.

But this device is not necessarily generalizable to the whole of the territory.

Young girls mostly aged 15 to 17

According to the working group led by magistrate Catherine Champrenault, whose report inspired this plan, the phenomenon mainly affects young girls, aged 15 to 17, who entered prostitution earlier and earlier, between 14 and 15 years for more than half of them. 

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This plan has four axes: "to raise awareness, inform and better understand" the phenomenon, "strengthen the identification at all levels" of young people involved, "support minors in prostitution" and "prosecute and repress more effectively" customers and pimps.