Bill legalizing prostitution rejected by Romanian Senate

The Romanian Senate rejected on Wednesday a bill initiated by a a Democratic Liberal deputy to legalize prostitution, Romanian news agency Agerpres reports. The bill initiated by deputy Silviu Prigoana was rejected by a large majority, with 85 votes to 6.

The Senate talks on the issue saw a majority of Senators in favor of a public debate on legalizing prostitution, a debate that should be based on the results of serious studies of the phenomenon to see if the Romanian society was ready for such legislation.

The bill proposed the authorization of sexual activities for persons aged 20 or more with no record of related medical conditions. The authorizations were to be issued by local authorities based on the approval issued by a specialized structure of the Interior Ministry.

The Senate is the first chamber of the Romanian Parliament to vote on the bill.