Prostitutes have been forced to taut for business elsewhere, after the Local Council announced plans to impose fines for their activities. During February, the City Council of Daya Vieja approved a plan to introduce stricter controls on the “offer of sexual services” within the municipal term, the decision was made during a plenary session addressing the Protection of public areas, and following the encouraging results it is thought that many other municipalities across the Province are likely to follow suit.

The Mayor, Rafael Vives, said that since the initiative was made public, one of the main objectives has already been fulfilled, with reference to the prostitutes working along the roundabouts of the CV-91, a zone which is more commonly known as Los Palacios, which was previously frequented by between 5 and 9 Romanian prostitutes, aged 21 to 27 years.

The ladies have now set up camp elsewhere during the week, although return in search of potential clients during the weekend. The Mayor said that this is because there are no Police patrols in the vicinity during those times, “They (the Prostitutes) are not idiots, they know what they are doing. They are very cute”.

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Conversely, the picture is quite different only 200 metres down the road, across the border between Daya Vieja and Formentera del Segura, where there is no such decree in operation, so clients can freely stop and fulfill their sexual desires.

Local residents are urging the local authorities to address the situation immediately, before it spirals out of hand. “We cannot even drive through our village without hearing crude comment and whistles. It is disgraceful” said one Spanish lady.

The Chief of Police for Daya Vieja, Jose Luis Andreu, said that the problem is not as bad as it has been in the past, as the ladies are “beginning to accept advice on how to break away from the activity, seeking emotional and financial help from Social Services.”

He revealed that all of the women claim that they do not choose a life of prostitution; they do it only for economic reasons, although he hinted that he is not convinced of this.

By Heidi Wardman
Photo Credit: Kay Chernush for the U.S. State Department