Sweden also criminalises knowingly renting to sex workers. Women who've gone to the police about being raped by a client have been made homeless as a result after the police got in touch with their landlords and told them to evict. This was one of the major contributors to Amnesty International coming out so strongly as they did against the Swedish model.

If the johns are criminalized, there is still a disincentive to go to the police: if they know you as a prostitute, they'll know to watch you closely to catch some johns and that will impair your business.

Also I think that provides a side effect too: if a john is already committing a crime when going to a prostitute, he may be more likely to do so anonymously and with less trace, making it easier for them to add robbery or assault to their acts.

I think that hypocrisy never helps. If it is illegal to go to a prostitute, it should be illegal to be one, their existence would have no legal justification.

"I think that hypocrisy never helps. If it is illegal to go to a prostitute, it should be illegal to be one, their existence would have no legal justification."

I disagree.

Few are forced to visit and hire a prostitute. But we know people are forced to be a prostitute (trafficking), some do it for drugs, and some feel they have no other way to survive. While society understands not every prostitute is in one of these categories, it seems a cruel punishment to charge them with a crime. MOstly because it would be charging a rape victim with the crime of being raped.

Well some people are forced into gang violence. That does not give a good reason to legalize violence.

Some people are forced into working in sweatshops to sew t-shirts. That does not make a good reason to criminalize t-shirts.

Forcing someone into doing something is already illegal. The forced person is a victim, most laws are clear about it. If the issue we are talking about is fighting against human-trafficking, the only question should be to know if legalizing prostitution would help the police find human traffickers.

And this should be the top question of the debate IMHO. I don't care much to live in a society that answers differently than me to the question "Should prostitution be legal?" but I would love to be in a society where human-trafficking does not exist.

I do have the feeling that pimps do enjoy the hypocrisy and moral ambiguity of the laws: it makes their services invaluable and their activities under the radar. But this opinion mostly comes from anecdotes and common sense. I am inclined to change opinions based on facts.