Germany first passed a law in 2002 to legalize prostitution in the country where prostitutes pay taxes and have access to the security system. Since then, the number of large brothels, usually operating under false labels such as “sauna clubs”, has multiplied. In recent years there has also been a widespread practice of offering a “flat rate” whereby customers can have sex with several people at a fixed price, a practice known as “all you can fuck”.
On 1 July, a new law on prostitution will come into force that explicitly prohibits “exploitative models that violate human dignity” such as the flat rate, in the words of the until recently Minister of the Family, Women, the Elderly and Youth, the social democrat Manuela Schwesig. This point of the new norm has been widely accepted, as well as the obligation to register as such the premises that offer what they call “erotic services”. The definition of these services includes not only traditional prostitution, but also other practices such as domination and sadomaso that do not necessarily include sexual intercourse. Persons with a criminal record cannot obtain this licence in an attempt to remove criminal elements from the sector. In addition, the use of condoms will be mandatory.
