Brothel dispute was a ‘mix-up’
A row over the decision to tighten laws regulating prostitution in Athens for the Olympics is a storm in a teacup based on a misunderstanding, Mayor Dora Bakoyianni said yesterday. Earlier this month, city authorities came under fire from the Greek Orthodox Church which accused the city of planning to license extra brothels to meet increased demand during the Games. «That was a misunderstanding which was cleared up. In Athens as in the rest of Greece, there are laws that foresee that you need a license to open this kind of establishment,» she told Reuters. «And what the City of Athens decided was to implement this law, that’s all.» She said the Church withdrew its criticism after Athens authorities explained the true situation. Bakoyianni said the measures were part of her long campaign against the exploitation of women and were not directly linked to the Games. «As a woman politician who has fought for years against human trafficking in any capacity, I am extremely sensitive to this issue,» she said. (Reuters)
