Yesterday a couple was charged at Phnom Penh Municipal Court for allegedly offering prostitution services at their coffee shop in the Cambodian capital’s Meanchey district, reports Phnom Penh Post.
Coffee, and…
Image Credit: waferboard (Flickr)
The couple apparently allowed prostitutes to use their shop as a site, in exchange for a cut of their earnings.
Suspects Duong Lim, 60, and his wife, Pham Thi Hieng, 38, both Vietnamese citizens, allegedly employed six prostitutes, the youngest being 17 years old.
Major Sok Kimsreng, an officer with the Ministry of Interior’s anti-human trafficking police said:
“They allowed girls who worked in their coffee shop to have sex with their clients in exchange for getting a commission from them […] If found guilty, they will be punished with up to five years’ imprisonment each.”
The couple were arrested following a raid of the coffee shop, and the six sex workers were sent to a municipal rehabilitation center.
Phenom Penh Post yesterday reached out for comment from court prosecutor Vong Visoth, who is in charge of the case, but could not be reached for comment.
Read the full story here.
Prostitution has been a topic of global debate in past weeks, due to Amnesty International’s vote in favor of decriminalizing the industry. The decision caused outrage among many, but those in favor argue it will protect the rights of women who work in the much stigmatized sex trade.
Go here to learn about sex and prostitution laws in Thailand.
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