One of Spain’s top newspapers, El País, is to stop publishing classified ads for sexual services, acknowledging that the majority of women who offer sexual services are being enslaved.
Since July 15th, the newspaper has not published a single ‘contact’ ad, a decision based on the "defence of women's rights."
“The opinions of our readers have been of great importance, through the Letters to the Editor, the Ombudsman and the comments left in our news and social media networks which repeatedly have told us to stop these announcements," wrote El País.
With its decision, the Spanish newspaper intends to maintain editorial consistency as the newspaper is keen to expose sexual exploitation. In April, a series of reports on slavery in Spain were published which denounced the situation for thousands of people who are used as sex slaves in the country.
Therefore, the newspaper does not think it is consistent to continue to publish classified contact ads of a sexual nature.
El País reminds readers that prostitution is illegal in Spain, despite being the EU country with the most with the most demand for prostitutes.
Thanks to legal changes made in 2010 and 2015, which criminalises people traffickers, there have been positive effects in the level of prostitution - in the five years to 2016, more than 4,000 victims of sexual exploitation have been rescued.
“Several studies and as many experts argue that the majority of women who offer sexual services are being enslaved," reports the Spanish newspaper.
Comments
I really wonder who use these services most : the (catholic) portugese or the more "neutral" foreign residents or maybe occasionally even some tourists ?
Who can tell us a bit more about this interesting topic ?
From the Open Media website:
Algarve Resident: "Published weekly since 1989 and acquired by Open Media in 2012, the Algarve Resident is the Algarve's local English-language newspaper bringing readers a vibrant mix of local and national news, community updates, events, classified ads and much more. The daily news portal portugalresident.com is one of Portugal's most visited English-language websites."
I am not sure who owns Open Media
This is on the resident's website: "Classified advertising is an extremely important and popular part of any newspaper and is vital to the community the newspaper is servicing.
The publishers of Algarve Resident take this advertising very seriously.
Whether it is a personal advert to sell your car, your house, household items, to publicise a service or to announce an event, or it is a trade advertisement to publicise services or products you can be sure that the Algarve Resident will handle your advert with care attention and professionalism. According to our classified advertisers, no other publication gives better response than the Algarve Resident, hence the amount of advertisements that are placed on a weekly basis."
It used to be known as the Algarve Residue, now we know why, but it was owned by the Rawcliffes. Has it changed hands?
Further north in Europe most of us lads, if needing this service, would be looking higher and further afield. At the least the reassurance of ducks flying across the chimney breast and Anaglypta wallpaper. Ideally not too rough a regional accent. Aiming socially higher an antique clock on the mantelpiece and an ornate mirror above it in front of both of you. If really ambitious a genuine Stubbs or Gainsborough with brass plaque and a discreet butler off to one side holding towels. Just shows the difference between our cultures, I suppose.
Whoever owns the Resident, I think it is the German who also owns the Quinta de Vales wine business, should be ashamed and now take action