• In the run-up to the hosting of the Rugby World Cup, the Rhône prefecture would have asked sex workers in Gerland, in the 7th arrondissement of Lyon, to leave the premises, they say.
  • The services of the State deny this information even if they confirm "thinking about means of action" in the face of this situation.
  • 20 Minutes then wondered what these employable modalities were to regulate the activity of sex workers.

"The situation is urgent," said Mohamed Chihi in mid-February, referring to the reception of All Blacks in Gerland. The deputy mayor of Lyon in charge of security wanted to avoid "a cohabitation between prostitutes and players" of rugby and assured that a "collaboration with the services of the State" was underway. Two months later, it seems that the prefecture has taken up the subject "as part of the 0 delinquency plan," she says.

"The girls of Gerland learned, at a meeting in early April, that they would be released within two weeks," says Lili*, a mediator for the association Cabiria, which supports prostitutes. "They just want us to disappear," she adds. But where are we going to go? The spokesperson raises an issue that goes beyond the region. How to regulate prostitution?

The prefecture "applies the 2016 law"

When asked, the services of the State deny the words of sex workers. "We had received these women to exchange but no order has been made for the moment," it says. Before adding: "We told them that we are studying all the modalities and that we are thinking about means of action. "

But what are these modalities? "We apply the law of 2016," ensure the services of the State. Translation: the national police can punish customers if they are caught red-handed and enforce the orders of the town hall.




On the municipal side, the field of action is limited to issuing anti-parking orders. The activity of prostitutes is then disrupted. They cannot park their vans wherever they want, at the risk of having their vehicle land at the impound lot or fined.

The town hall assures, however, that it does not want to follow the strategy of the predecent mandate that had only "displaced the problem". "We have not touched any of the orders put in place ... But we are not going to continue on this ground, says the security assistant. Pimping is not combated by anti-parking orders. This is not the way to eradicate prostitution. The proof. »

"To regulate prostitution would be to be a pimp"

Lili says the prostitutes would agree to leave if "a stable and protected place" to practice their profession was found. "A mediation with the town hall and the parents' collective had even begun to arrange the girls' working hours and disturb the Plaine des jeux district as little as possible," she says.

Asked in February about this, Mohamed Chihi, deputy mayor for security, replied: "The law simply prohibits any action that would amount to regulating the activity of prostitution. This would make the city of Lyon a pimp."

"So all you have to do is repeal the pimping laws and all those that are against supporting sex work," says Simon*, a sex worker and prevention facilitator. For him, the regulations in place only "endanger the hundreds of lives" concerned. "There is never a sustainable solution. They are undesirable to society. But they also need to work, earn money and live," he said. "If we had a solution to this problem, it would have been a long time since we would have used it," concludes on the side of the prefecture.

*First names have been changed at the request of interviewees.

  • Society
  • Lyon
  • Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
  • Rhône-Alpes
  • Gerland
  • Prostitution
  • Prostitute