OSLO, Dec 31: As Norway rings in the new year it will introduce a new law making the purchase — but not the sale — of sex a criminal act, threatening even to put Norwegians who buy sex abroad behind bars.

“We think buying sex is unacceptable because it favours human trafficking and forced prostitution,” Deputy Justice Minister Astri Aas-Hansen said.

Street prostitution has become ever more visible in Norwegian cities in recent years, with prostitute support organisations estimating the country of just 4.6 million people counts as many as 3,000 sex workers.

The new law, which is modelled on similar legislation in Sweden, aims to clean up the streets and protect the prostitutes by outlawing the buying of sex, but not the sale.

Procuring, or “pimping”, and human trafficking are already illegal.

Norway will go even further than its Scandinavian neighbour however, making it illegal for Norwegian citizens and residents to purchase sexual favours even abroad, although Aas-Hansen insists catching johns in foreign countries “is not a priority for Norwegian police.” Prostitutes’ customers could be slapped with fines proportionate to their revenues, be sentenced to up to six months in prison, or both.

In extreme cases, especially when the person providing sexual services is a minor, the prison term can stretch up to three years.

Norwegian media has reported that street prostitution has dropped considerably in the run-up to the introduction of the new law, but Bjoerg Norli of the Pro prostitute support centre insists the decline is an illusion brought on by plunging winter temperatures.

“The women are waiting to see what will happen. They have not decided yet whether they will leave or stop selling sex or continue and establish indoors,” she said.—AFP